


Wind Storm

by AnAwkwardOwl



Category: Promare (2019)
Genre: Angst, Before the events of Promare, Boy boutta get a wake up call, Canon-Typical Violence, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Fluff, Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mentions of Sex, Mild Language, Mutual Pining, No Gore, Slow Burn, TW Sexual themes, gueimei, gueira doesn't realize that he's bi as heck, meis pov, tw violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-22
Updated: 2020-02-14
Packaged: 2021-02-27 07:07:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 21,425
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22363081
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnAwkwardOwl/pseuds/AnAwkwardOwl
Summary: Meis has been the reluctant leader for a group of burnish for some time now. But things begin to change rapidly when they encounter another small band of burnish led by Guiera. What's Meis to do with such a chaotic force threatening his peaceful settlement?An enemies to friends to lovers slow burn, set before the events of the movie.
Relationships: Gueimeis - Relationship, Gueira/Meis (Promare)
Comments: 26
Kudos: 72





	1. Heist

It was pitch black. The only light that shone was from a dim, flickering neon sign on the storefront. There wasn’t a single heartbeat within, the workers home for the night. It had rained not even an hour ago, puddles littering the concrete lot. With a break in the weather, it was time. 

“Remember,” a man spoke softly. “Grab only what you need.” 

A small group, only four others, looked at their leader with vigor, nodding quickly. The leader pulled out his hair tie, letting the long navy blue strands hide his face. He pulled out a blue face mask and put it on, the rest of the group pulling on various clothing to hide their faces. The leader motioned toward the building, and the others followed in step. 

The oldest of the group gently grabbed the leader’s shoulder. “Meis.” He spoke softly, and pointed up to a pole. A camera was slowly rotating around the lot. Meis nodded and held up a finger like a gun. As he cocked his hand, a spark of light zipped across and destroyed the camera, the lens pointing down dejectedly. Meis threw a thumbs up to the member who warned him, and turned his focus to the door. He placed a hand gently on the lock, which melted and fell to the floor. With that, the group slid inside. 

They immediately dispersed, each knowing exactly the items they were assigned. Bandages, canned food, small toys, water, blankets. Meis quickly hopped over the counter and grabbed a few boxes of cigarettes and what money was left in the register. He always felt awful doing this, they all did, but the well-being of their friends and family was too important. 

“Alright,” Meis spoke under his breath. “Medication, need to grab medicati”- 

Every window on the building simultaneously shattered, erupting with bright crimson flame. Before Meis could react, the flames traveled through the isles, blocking him off from the others. 

“Hey!” Meis growled. “Kae! Lee? Everyone, are you okay?” He placed his hand on the flame to control it, but it instead fought back, burning his forearm. He jumped back, eyes wide. “What the hell is this?” 

A cacophony of laughter filled the store as burnish ran inside. They all wore burnish helmets, some in full armor. Their leader was the most feral of them all, leaping across the isles and setting fire to everything he touched. He wore normal clothing, but had a bulky black and red helmet with a green visor, far too similar to Meis’s own helmet. 

“Hey! Dick!” Meis screamed at him, burning his own teal fire. Tendrils of flame ran from his palms to the man’s wrists, wrapping tight around like handcuffs. He fell to the floor, scrambling to his feet. 

“Oi! What the fuck! Which one of you jokers”-! The man turned and saw Meis. “Who the hell are you, mate?” 

“I’m tryin’ to ask the same thing!” 

“Meis!” A voice called out. Two of his group were surrounded by the blood red fire. 

Meis panicked, shaking the man’s handcuffs. “Let them free! They’re burnish! We’re all burnish! Don’t hurt them!” 

“Why should I listen to you?” The man pulled at the chains, which scorched his wrists. “Every man for himself an’ all that!” 

“You’re a dumbass.” In frustration, Meis called back the flame, running through to his friends. In a flash, blue armor covered his body. As he ran, a clear path was extinguished, and the two ran out the door. Meis turned to find the others just in time to watch one crawl out a window. He just needed to grab the fourth and get out of here. 

A bloodcurdling laughter arose from the center of the store. Meis sped over only to see his last member, a thin boy, pinned to the floor. The goods he had collected were scattered to the floor, one of the burnish pressing the sole of his boot against his head. 

“Let him go!” Meis charged in. 

The man from before stopped him in his tracks. “We’ll let him go, sure. For a trade.” 

“What do you want?” Meis sighed, his chest tight. 

“Your supplies. What you ransacked from this place.” 

“Get your own damn supplies! We’re in the same store!” 

The man called the flame, which became solid within his hands, revealing a likeness to a baseball bat. “So you don’t want your friend?” 

“Meis,” the boy cried. “Let me go. I won’t make it anyways.” 

“So that’s your name?” The man placed the bat on his shoulder. “Meis? Do we have a deal?” 

He felt his heart pumping faster and faster. It got harder to breathe, to think. “Who do you think you are?” A lick of blue flame began to grow at his feet. “We are all burnish. You gain nothing from this. We are the same.” 

“We gain supplies from this. And well, if you decline, then we’ll kill your friend and take them anyway.” The man shrugged. 

Meis couldn’t form words. Before he realized it, his own flame combusted through the area, flashing from dark red to bright blue. He snatched the man’s throat, pulling him up and pressing him against the shelves. 

The man, in shock and flailing, scratched at his hand. Meis’s claws dig in, and the man could barely form a spark in defense. His helmet shattered, revealing his face. Short, curly red and black hair framed his face. 

“You wanna fight?” The man still tried to accuse him. “I’ll fight you! I’ll”- he gasped for air. “Drop me an’ give me a chance!” 

“Gueira!” One of the lackeys shouted. “Freeze Force!” 

Both leaders froze, Meis dropping him. 

“Fuck!” Gueira coughed, rubbing his throat. “Scatter! Go!” 

Vulcan bust through the door, crumbling the wall around it. Ice instantaneously covered the floor, all fire immediately extinguished. “Now, what’s all this about some pyro-terrorists?” 

Meis felt his stomach fall, the smug voice sending pure fear down his spine. He watched Gueira summon his full armor, rising to the ceiling with his bulky frame. 

“Seriously guys, run! I got this.” Gueira shooed them away, charging headfirst toward Vulcan. 

“Quinn! Run! I’ll meet you at the base.” Meis sprinted after him. 

“Two leaders in one place? It’s my lucky day.” Vulcan’s laughter shook the frame of the store. He pulled out a shotgun and began firing ice bullets toward the two. Meis wrapped fire tendrils around the gun, keeping a tight grip. Gueira jumped up, resummoning his bat. 

“Batter up!” He screamed, hitting Vulcan with the force of a truck. He faltered back out of the store and into the parking lot, letting go of his gun. Meis pulled it in, emptying the magazine and melting the bullets. 

Gueira threw his bat to the side, throwing more punches at Vulcan. He blocked them without thought. Even when a punch did land, Vulcan’s armor didn’t even smoulder. As they brawled, Gueira cornered him back into the giant ATV he drove in on. Vulcan happily jumped inside, multiple turrets sliding out of the sides and top. They all aimed at Gueira, and fired. 

A blue wall of thick flame rose in front of him, the bullets melting. Meis slid outside, throwing desperate slices of flame at the car. Gueira watched him for a moment, a dumbfounded grin pasted on his face. But he shook his head, realizing the turret’s aim had shifted. He jumped up onto the car and gripped onto a turret, pulling with all his might. With some heat, it broke off, sparks and wires flying everywhere. Laughter bubbled out of Gueira as he took off the turrets one by one, Meis expertly dogging every bullet while he did. 

As Gueira pulled off the last one, Meis held out his hand, a scythe appearing in his palm. He jumped onto the hood and pointed it at the cracked windshield, right to Vulcan’s head. 

“I wouldn’t waste your time with me.” Vulcan smirked. 

“What the hell’s that supposed’ta mean?” Gueira banged in the roof, which caved in at the weight. 

“Behind you.” Vulcan’s smirk morphed into a morbid splitting smile. 

Meis turned, seeing a hidden Freeze Force car. Two men, ice binding their wrists, were piling into the back. 

“Quinn!” Meis yelled, pushing off the car and running across the lot. 

“Meis!” Gueira jumped off after him, forming his bat again and swinging hard. It missed Meis, and instead made contact with a giant ice bullet, which flew out far into the horizon. Vulcan chuckled from inside the car, his last gun smoking. 

“Gueira?” Meis watched, stunned. 

“See ya next time, boys.” Vulcan waved, making his retreat. 

“Vulcan!” Meis began to run, but Gueira grabbed his shoulder. The smaller car with the two boys trailed behind, the Freeze Force logo mocking them as they drove away. Their burnish armor faded away, the two leaders on equal footing again. 

Meis shrugged Gueira away. “They got Quinn.” 

“They got Jay too, but look”- 

“This is your fault!” Meis pushed him. 

“This is my fault?” Gueira looked offended. “How is this my fault? I was helping you fight him!” 

“You’re the one who alerted him to this place! We were stealthy! We needed supplies!” 

“We needed the same supplies! Maybe if you had just left, you’d be okay.” 

“We tried to leave! You trapped us in!” Meis pulled at his hair. He breathed in hard, desperately trying to calm down. “Just, just”- he let out a guttural sigh. “Fuck this. Fuck you. I need a smoke.” Meis began to storm away. 

“Meis,” Gueira turned on a heel. Meis held out a middle finger in the air as he walked. Gueira watched until he disappeared behind the store. Frustrated, he slapped himself in the face and pulled at his hair. He waved him away, stomping back to his base.


	2. Deal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meis gets an unexpected visitor at his settlement.

Meis kneeled next to a puddle, a hair tie between his lips. His nimble fingers worked around his long hair, pulling it into a messy low bun. With one hand he took the tie and pulled together as many loose strands as he could. Looking at his reflection, he made sure the bun was even behind his neck. With a small sigh, he pushed himself up, reaching inside his jacket. He held a white box, which flipped open to reveal three cigarettes. He shook it and pulled one out, putting the box back in his pocket. He placed the cigarette on his lips, snapping his fingers on the end. A tiny blue flame sparked to life, burning the white. Meis took in a deep breath, the dark smoke filling his lungs, and slowly let it escape, a grey plume rising to the sky. His shoulders rolled and relaxed as he looked out at his settlement. 

He couldn’t pinpoint how or when he became the leader for all of these burnish. He really never thought of himself as a boss anyway- the people chose what they wanted or needed. Meis just made sure they didn’t hurt each other in the process, providing help when he could. Even before he was burnish, he was always the mediator between friends, so he supposed taking the position was only natural. 

Along with a few others, Meis founded the settlement about two months ago. Out in the middle of the desert, Freeze Force couldn’t be bothered to drive out and attack them. Here, they were relatively safe. It still had its downsides though- it was impossible to visit Promepolis, making supplies dangerously scarce. Hence the mission last night- the store they robbed was on the outskirts of the city, and had a surplus of medical supplies. 

Maybe they could have held out another night, Meis thought. Maybe, if he had just been more careful, Vulcan wouldn’t have taken- 

A small hand tugged on his jeans. He coughed out smoke, looking down. A child, a little girl in braids, looked up at him with big eyes. She held a doll from a popular movie close to her chest. 

“Thank you for my Elsie doll, sir.” She smiled. 

Right. One of the group was picking up toys for the kids last night. “No problem. Keep her safe, alright?” He bent down to ruffle her hair. The child giggled and nodded enthusiastically before running off. Meis watched her run up to boy, not much older than her, as they took hands and walked away. 

An engine revved behind him, causing him to spin around. One of his watchmen rode on a burnish bike, speeding their way to him. Meis ran to meet them. 

“Boss!” The watchmen took off her helmet, pushing her hair out of her face. “There’s a man approaching the perimeter.” 

“A single man?” Meis raised a brow. 

“Yes. Perhaps mid to late 20s. He seems unarmed, and does not have any perceivable wounds. We are unsure if he is burnish or not.” 

“Take me to him.” Meis stubbed out his smoke and summoned his own bike with a flick of his hand. Just as soon as he swung his leg over the seat, the girl led the way with dust flying behind her. 

In a flash they were there, Meis digging his boot into the ground and drifting his bike to a stop. Another watchman was there, binoculars glued to their face. “Still just walkin’,” his gruff voice spoke as he handed them off. “He’s makin’ a bee line though, he’ll be here in a minute.” 

Meis took the binoculars and looked inside. Sure enough, a tall but scraggly man was calmly walking toward them, his head down and his hands in his pockets. Meis’s heart sank to his stomach all at once. His eyes locked on the man, he handed off the binoculars and hopped back on his bike. “I’m gonna kill him. Stay here.” 

The watchmen opened their mouths to object, but Meis was already off. His armor appeared piece by piece as he rode, from his boots to his helmet. The wind whipped at his sides, dust blasting his visor. He stepped off his bike inches away from the man, letting it accelerate and disappear from sight. In one fell swoop, he held up a hand, his scythe materializing, and pressed the blade against the shocked man’s throat. 

“What are you doing here?” Meis demanded. 

Gueira held up his hands in protest, swallowing hard. “I’m not here to fight, man. We need to talk.” 

“Why would I need to talk to someone who got one of my men imprisoned?” Meis pushed the blade closer, resting underneath Gueira’s adam’s apple. “I will not let you near the others. I will not let you live if you take another step.” 

“Calm down!” Gueira raised his hands higher. “I just said I don’t wanna fight! I just wanna talk about last night. Maybe even strike a deal with ya.” 

“Why would I?” 

“I wanna help get your man back.” 

Meis froze a moment. “How?” 

“Put down the weapon and I’ll explain.” 

Reluctantly, his hand fell to the side, letting the scythe fall. His armor faded away as well, Meis dropping onto the sand. Even so, he was still just a bit taller than Gueira, and kept his posture to prove it. 

“There,” Meis spat. “Now explain.” 

“Did anyone ever teach ya about hospitality?” Gueira leaned back on his heels, hands behind his head. “Can’t we sit down somewhere inside?” 

“No.” Meis crossed his arms. 

“Just for a second.” 

“No.” 

“I walked all this way, I’m dyin’ for a drink.” 

Meis sighed. “Fine. Don’t leave my sight. Or I will kill you.” 

“Lighten up, man! I ain’t gonna hurt no one.” 

Meis rolled his eyes, but led him back to where the watchmen stood. They stood at attention, their eyes wide trying to assess the situation. Meis took the girl aside and whispered something in her ear, to which she nodded and rode into the settlement. 

“Wait here a moment.” Meis spoke. 

“What a warm welcome.” Gueira snorted a laugh. 

“We burnish have a specialty for warm welcomes.” 

“That was a joke!” Gueira feigned shock. “The robot does have a heart!” Meis stayed silent, which somehow encouraged Gueira more. He rested an elbow on Meis’s shoulder, which was higher than his own. Meis shrugged it off. Gueira ignored the gesture. 

“So that girl, huh?” Gueira shoved his hands in his jacket. “Are all the girls in your settlement that gorgeous?” 

Meis stayed silent, trying to ignore him. His face denied it. 

“I got a few women with me too, but mostly men. A shame, really. Gets lonely out here in the desert. I’m sure you know, I can feel that bubbling chemistry between you and”-

“Gueira, I’m gay.” Meis spoke levely. 

“No shit?” Gueira bent like a slinky. “Well then, come back with me, you’ll have your pick.” 

“I’m more interested in survival.” Meis closed his eyes, silently praying to any god that could hear him. 

“What’s surviving if you’re not living?” Gueira stood up straight. 

“If you want to fill your doomsday with empty sex with random women, be my guest.” 

“Dude, literally, what crawled up your tight ass and died?” Gueira shifted his weight. “Next time I gotta bring some juul or somethin’.” 

After a stretch of awkward silence, the woman rode back with a small metal box behind her. She opened it, two fist sized holes molded within. 

“How did you get that?” Gueira stepped back. 

“Relax. Freeze Force put these on one of us, but they managed to escape. We worked with it- it doesn’t hurt, and I can easily take it on and off. Just like normal handcuffs.” 

“But why”- 

“I don’t trust you.” Meis answered before Gueira could ask. “It’s just a precaution. I don’t want you setting fire to anything important.” 

“And if I wear these, we can talk?” 

“Yes.” 

Gueira growled at the sky before giving in, lazily resting his hands in the container. The girl carefully closed it, and a blast of cold air chilled Gueira’s bones to the core. It was uncomfortable as all hell, but at least it didn’t hurt. The girl closed the lock and held a thumbs up to Meis. 

“Thank you, Makoto.” Meis grinned. 

“You can smile too?” Gueira gasped. 

“I can lock you in these forever.” Meis’s face fell once more. 

“Another joke!” Gueira let out a stressed laugh. He nudged the male watchmen. “He can’t do that, can he?” To his dismay, he just shrugged. 

“Come on.” Meis began to walk forward. Gueira jumped on his feet, quickly moving to walk beside him. 

“Dude, your place is so much nicer than ours.” Gueira looked around in amazement. “I mean, we don’t really have a settlement, but if we did, I couldn’t imagine it being this well put together.” 

“You don’t settle?” Meis tried to hide his shock. 

“Well, no. We’re too close to the city. Freeze Force finds us every time. So we just kinda migrate from one hole to the next.” Gueira spoke matter-of-factly. “Never really bothered us though. A good chunk of us like the changes in scenery.” 

“I could never do that.” Meis shook his head. “Though, we have been here for two months. And after Quinn got captured, I’m sure we’ll have to move soon.” 

“Two months?” Gueira’s jaw dropped. “We’re lucky if we can stay in one place for two days! Two months, damn, you know what you’re doin’ out here.” 

The rest of the walk was silent, save for Gueira’s gawking at different temporary structures and small social groups. Meis led him to his home, a short hut made of sand and clay. A blanket hung down as a makeshift door, and Meis pulled it out of the way, motioning in. Just as Gueira was about to take the offer, the sound of giggling caught his attention, and he turned his head. Two boys were running in circles, one with a comically large hat and the other wielding a stick. 

“You have kids here.” Gueira breathed, more to himself than anything. 

“Yeah. Don’t you?” 

“No,” he shook his head in disbelief. “It’s too dangerous for them. I- I didn’t know that kids could be”- 

“We keep them here. Adults volunteer to look after them when we run heists. It’s also another reason why we have so many watchmen on the perimeters. If Vulcan were to come, we’ll need ample time to get them to safety before ourselves. 

Gueira stared a moment before remembering the situation. He turned back, ducking his head as he walked into the hut. It was somehow even smaller on the inside- the only decor being a torn sleeping bag and succulent. 

“Nice home.” Gueira sat on the floor. 

“Thanks.” Meis grunted and sat across from him. 

“Really spruced it up nice with the plant an’ all.” 

“Oh, uh,” Meis almost seemed embarrassed. “A mother got me that after finding her kid and bringing ‘em here.” 

“There’s non-burnish here too?” 

“Mostly kids. A couple adults. Families that have been actively searching for each other, that’s all.” 

“How do you have room for them all?” 

“We don’t.” Meis spoke bluntly. “Which is why we were on a supply run last night. Which is why you’re here. You wanted to speak to me, now is your time. Oh, and,” he leaned over, rummaging in his sleeping bag, and pulled out a canteen. “I got some water for you too.” 

Gueira shot up straight, a little surprised he would actually listen now. “Can’t exactly drink with this,” Gueira lifted the box around his hands. “So I guess I’ll just have to talk to you first.” 

“You haven’t seemed to have any problems on that front.” Meis placed the canteen between them. 

“Normally I would bust your jaw for that.” Gueira grunted, but kept calm. “But, again, I don’t want to fight you. We’re both burnish, it’d be pointless.” 

“Glad you finally agree.” 

“Yeah, yeah. I see now that y’all probably needed the supplies more than us…” Gueira huffed. “Listen, I just wanted to come an’ apologize for last night.” 

“I do not accept.” 

Gueira leaned his head back. “Yep, guess I deserve that one,” He slumped. “But I came to do more than that. I know what you’re goin’ through, I lost a guy too. I swear, Jay could revive a dead and gone pile of ash, and now he’s been taken. I want to get him back just as much as you want to get Tim.” 

“Quinn.” 

“Whatever.” Gueira waved it off. “Point is, I got a plan, and I need your help to pull it off.” 

“Why in the world would you need me?” Meis spat. “Don’t you have enough men?” 

“Vulcan.” 

“What about him?” 

“You cannot deny that we shared chemistry when we fought him! We didn’t even speak, and I’ve never had a man back me up like you did. Like it or not, we share the same language. I have never gotten Vulcan to hightail so quickly, and if we join forces again, I promise we can get our boys back!” 

Meis looked away, weighing his options. He had a point. Between Gueira’s brute force and his own strategy, they were powerful. 

“Plus, if this works while I’m alone, I’m only gonna save my own guy. I don’t know anything about yours. I can’t guarantee his life.” 

Meis let out a heavy sigh. “As tempting as this sounds, I can’t. I want to save Quinn, but I can’t trade one life for all of the lives here. I need to focus on finding and building a new settlement. I’m sure they’ve already tortured our location out of him, and Freeze Force trucks will be out here any day now to capture the rest of us.” 

Gueira bounced his leg in thought. “We’ll just have to do both.” 

Meis blinked. “Excuse me?” 

“Here’s what I’m thinkin’,” Gueira shuffled in his spot. It was clear he thought with his hands, his restraints bouncing as he spoke. “My people got intel that Freeze Force is expanding the burnish holding cells. During construction, any captured burnish are being held underneath the Kray Foresight building.” 

“If your plan is to attack the Kray Foresight building, I’m gonna need you to stop talking. I like my limbs where they currently are.” 

“I’m not a dumbass,” Gueira snarled. “Well, that much of a dumbass. Anyway, because there isn’t any room, Freeze Force is only taking burnish who cause a ruckus within the city. Mostly new bloods. And Vulcan will escort them to the proper holding cells when they’re finished construction.” 

“So when’ll it be done?” 

“Thursday. We got five days. They’ll be en route in a convoy once night falls.” Gueira sat up straighter. “My proposition is this: for the next five days, me and my crew help you and your crew. We’ll find ya a new cozy spot to settle and build up shop. We can even steal a truck or two to carry the bigger supplies, like scaffolding an’ all that. With all hands on deck, our groups can build up a new spot in five days, no problem. And with your people safely tucked away, you’ll be free to help us hijack the convoy. You’ll be safe and have your man, and you’ll never hear another peep outta me after.” 

Meis eyed him up and down. “All of this for me to help you save one man?” 

“Well, to be frank, I wanna save all the burnish they got in that convoy. I wanna kill Vulcan, but…” Gueira shook his head. “I’d be way over my head. I just want to help the burnish. An’ if that requires me workin’ with a man that has a stick so far up his ass that he can’t bend over, then I’ll do it.” 

Meis winced, but nodded nonetheless. “Call me crazy, but… I believe you. I can tell you have good intentions.” 

“Wait, really?” Gueira raised a brow. 

“I never locked your restraints.” Meis leaned forward. 

“What?” Gueira’s voice cracked. Meis gestured to his hands. Gueira opened up his hands, pushing his palms hard against the box encasing him. Without much effort, it popped open, a thin cold mist dissipating in the air. Gueira jumped to his feet, hitting his head on the roof. “You’re meanin’ to tell me I coulda gotten out of those at any time?” He screamed. 

“You could have. And you didn’t.” Meis grinned coyly, slowly standing up. He picked up the canteen and held it out. “Still thirsty?” 

Gueira’s eyes were fixed in Meis, but did steal a glance down at the canteen. Hesitantly, his muscles relaxed, and he took the offer. Screwing off the top, he threw his head back and let a waterfall of water drown his mouth. He swallowed and wiped his mouth with his arm, handing the canteen back. “Thanks. I think.” 

“To be clear,” Meis took it and screwed the top back on. “You help me move base, then we help each other save the burnish from Freeze Force. On Friday this will all be said and done.” 

“Do we got a deal?” Gueira cocked his head, a hand outstretched. 

Meis took his hand and shook it. “Deal.”


	3. Learning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meis and Gueira start building up the new settlement, and start building up their reluctant friendship.

Meis agreed to lend a few of his men to help Gueira explain the situation to his group, and to find a new place to settle down. Meanwhile, Meis called a meeting within the settlement to discuss packing things up and getting ready to move. 

When the next morning came, their plan was officially set into motion. The new destination was set about twenty miles east, and was protected on the north side by a large plateau. The first order of business was bringing over the scaffolding, so they knew how much room they would need for each home. That being said, the burnish would have to camp out for the next few days. Which wasn’t too much of a problem- most of the burnish slept in sleeping bags anyway. 

Again, Gueira’s team focused on moving and setting up the scaffolding while Meis kept everyone calm and notified. As promised, Gueira did manage to steal a large truck, making transport much easier. Meis didn’t know where or how he stole the truck, but he wasn’t about to ask either. 

Gueira and Meis had really been trying to avoid each other for the most part. They weren’t at each other’s throats anymore, but Meis still couldn’t forgive Gueira, and Gueira still couldn’t trust Meis. They exchanged only as much as needed, focusing only on the task at hand. All of the burnish were exhausted from their orders by the end of the day, but progress would be much easier from this point on. 

The sun was setting, orange and purple hues painting the sky. Meis stretched out his back, hearing his bones pop all the way up. Every muscle was already sore, but it would be worth the pain later. Finding a large rock, he sat down and took out a cigarette. 

“Any chance I can get ya to share?” 

Meis looked up. Gueira had just turned the corner, and was leaning against the same rock. His eyes were tired. Meis silently rustled in his pockets again, pulling out another smoke and handing it over. 

“Thanks,” Gueira took it with a nod and popped it in his mouth. They both set the sticks alight, and smoke billowed above them. 

“If you want,” Meis broke a stretch of silence, “your people can stay here until Thursday. They’re tired. And it’d be pretty dumb for them to travel out just to turn around and come right back every day.” 

“You mean that?” Gueira turned his body toward him. 

“Yeah. You’re doing me a huge favor. Least I can do is treat ya well.” 

“Thanks,” Gueira swallowed. “Seriously, thank you. I’ll let them all know.” 

“Don’t mention it.” Meis let out a large breath of smoke. 

Gueira leaned back on the rock, letting his head fall back to watch the clouds. “There’s somethin’ else I wanna ask ya.” 

“Shoot.” 

“How’d you get in this position?” 

Meis paused, looking at the man for the first time during this conversation. “What do you mean?” 

Gueira still stared straight up, puffing billows of smoke. “Happened to me about eight months ago. I was in my apartment, getting a late night snack. Had a girl there too. Can’t even remember her name, if I’m honest. But she was asleep in the bedroom.” Gueira hummed. “It was those little cheese crackers with peanut butter in ‘em. What are they called again? Eh, don’t matter. Point is, some dumbass broke in, wavin’ a knife like a psycho. Don’t know why he chose my place, it was a dump. But I got into a scrap with the guy, got cut up some. Then it’s a blur. One second he’s on top of me, the next, boom. There was nothin’ left to even be examined, I damn near cremated the guy.” 

Meis shifted in his spot. He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. 

“‘Course Freeze Force came ‘round. But god, the power- that fire, it burned different. I felt it deep. Deeper than in my soul. Like it was my whole life, what I breathed, what I bled. I could hear it screaming, I knew it wanted to burn. And damn, I was gonna burn brighter than the goddamn sun. But…” Gueira sat back up, his shoulders slouched. “I just got tired. I wanted to push harder and harder, but my body couldn’t take it. It managed to get me safe from Vulcan, but I passed out in some gutter. When I came to, I just wanted to burn more. But I knew I needed help. So I kept an eye out. Anytime a new blood popped off, I was there. I would feed the flame, and carry them to safety.” 

Gueira turned to Meis, fire in his eyes. “My people ain’t bloodthirsty. We just wanna burn. We wanna burn the whole damn world down.

So I’ll ask again,” Gueira took a drag of his cigarette, calming himself down. “What’s your story?” 

“Why did you tell me all this?” Meis’s brow furrowed. 

“Call it curiosity. A lapse in judgement. Exhaustion. Take your pick, really.” Gueira shrugged. 

Meis nervously dug into the sand with the sole of his foot. “I appreciate your willingness to be so open with me. But I’m afraid I can’t share that same sentiment. Not yet.” 

“Figures.” Gueira pressed the butt of the cigarette down into the rock. He pushed himself up, pulling his jacket tighter. Meis wrung his hands, a weird feeling eating away at his chest. 

“Wait,” Meis spoke without thinking. Gueira paused his step, looking back. 

Meis swallowed. “Thank you, Gueira.” 

The man nodded, a short scoff of a laugh escaping him. Without another word, he left. 

— 

Day two was similar. Meis showed how heating the sand made it hard enough to stay solid, and they began to build up new huts. Again, Gueira focused on building, while Meis helped the burnish. 

Meis worked on building a large fire pit in the center of the camp. It was surprisingly vital, as it allowed burnish who couldn’t resist the fire’s urge to release their rage in a controlled manner. Meis stood up and wiped a bead of sweat off his brow. It may not be the prettiest, being just a hole in the ground, but it would be decorated soon. 

Gueira suddenly appeared, resting an elbow on Meis’s shoulder. “How’s it goin’ over here?” 

Meis stopped himself from moving Gueira’s arm. “It’s… getting there. Is your group taking a break? You can’t push yourselves too hard.” 

“Way ahead of you.” Gueira unclipped a carabiner on his belt, attached to a small canteen. He took a swig of water and clipped it back. “The fire pit’s smart. I woulda never thought of that.” 

Meis hid a grin. “Can’t have someone burning down your hard work.” 

“Just let me know when I can break it in.” Gueira nudged him, taking back his arm. 

“Mr. Meis!” 

The duo turned at the tiny voice. Two boys held up a bass. “Mr. Meis, we found your guitar while the adults were moving things!” 

“Oh,” Meis blushed, taking it from them. “Thanks, boys.” 

A short silence passed. The kids didn’t leave. 

“Well?” One of them piped up. 

“What is it?” Meis asked. 

“We were hoping you might be able to play it for us.” The other sheepishly traced the sand with his shoe. 

“Oh! Uh,” Meis tried to think of what to say. 

“I didn’t know you could play.” Gueira crossed his arms. “Or is it for show?” He teased. 

“There’s a lot you don’t know about me.” Meis quipped. 

“If you can play, let’s hear it.” Gueira pressed. 

Meis glared, but sighed, knowing he had been beaten. He dug in his pockets, pulling out a pick. He pushed the bass up with his knee, wrapping a leather strap around his chest. With a deep breath, he began tapping his foot, and played out some chords. 

Gueira was struck at how easily he strummed out a perfect melody. But what got him was when Meis began to sing. His voice was much deeper and gravlier than normal. With his eyes half closed and focused on the ground, it felt… intimate. And with those wild strands of navy blue hair framing his face, the sun in the perfect spot to shine through his irises… 

Meis’s voice was low and steady. “Rage ate me up. Endless foreloneness has made me numb. I’d rather rise from here,” Meis looked up at Gueira. “Or should I hold onto my past?” 

As Meis finished the song, he noticed the two kids had stars in their eyes. Not only that, but his audience had multiplied, almost all of the kids and teens in the settlement sitting in a semi-circle around him. 

“Where did you learn to play like that?” Gueira spoke, awestruck. 

“I was in a band. We were on tour, before I…” Meis trailed off. 

“Mr. Meis! Please play another!” A girl from the mini audience raised a hand. 

“Yeah, Mr. Meis! Please?” 

“I wanna hear another!” 

Meis swallowed. “I think Mr. Meis can play more another time. How about later tonight? I need to get back to work.” 

There was a collective “Awh” from the crowd as they degectly dispersed. Meis tapped on the original boys’ shoulders. He took off the strap and handed out the bass. 

“How about you two keep this safe for me until then?” 

“Really?” Their smiles could split their face in two. 

“Of course. Just be careful, now.” Meis ruffled their hair, and the boys sped off with the guitar. 

“You’re real good with kids, too.” Gueira spoke, not really realizing he said it out loud. 

“I try.” Meis shrugged. “I want to be a better big brother for these kids.” 

Gueira seemed flustered. He didn’t have any quick comebacks, and his posture was much more reserved. Meis really couldn’t fathom why, but at least he was quieter than usual. 

“I should get back to my guys,” Gueira coughed. “Make sure they’re not killin’ each other or somethin’. But can I,” he scratched his neck, looking for words. “Can I get you anything? Help with the fire pit or somethin’?” 

Meis shook his head, confused at the sentiment. “No, no. I’m fine here. Thanks?” 

“Yeah, no problem.” Gueira turned on a heel and walked away.


	4. Loyalty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In order for their plan to work, Meis needs Gueira to trust him. Unfortunately, Gueira knows just how to push all of Meis's buttons.

Meis threw in the last log for the fire pit. It was ungodly early, the sun was just rising over the horizon. He couldn’t fall back asleep, so might as well work. 

A hand snapped in front of his face holding a small note. ‘Gueira- meet me when you wake up. -Meis’ 

“What’s this about?” Gueira grumbled. He only wore his boxers, his hair completely disheveled. A large yawn shook his body as he wiped the crust from his eyes. 

Meis eyed him up and down. “You could. You know. Get dressed. If you’d like.” 

“I’m already here,” Gueira balled up the paper and threw it in the pit. “What’s going on?” 

Meis sighed, straightening his posture. “If you still want to go on this mission on Thursday, we need to talk.” 

“What about?” Gueira crossed his arms. “You better not be chickening out on me.” 

“I’m not. But rooted into that- I know you don’t trust me. And if we are to truly fight alongside each other, we have to have trust. What can I do?” 

Gueira scoffed. “Of course I don’t trust you. I’m being the nicest I can be to ya after I attacked you, and you still don’t trust me!” 

“I trust you.” 

“Like hell you do!” Gueira had to stop himself from yelling. “I know you did your fancy little handcuff trick on me, but you still don’t trust me. You don’t like me, you don’t want me here. I know I fucked up when I hurt your guy, but I’m trying my best to amend that!” 

Meis was silent, parsing out how to respond. 

“I don’t want to do this mission. I need to do this mission. And I need you to help me. So will you accept that I’m alive for five minutes?” Gueira pleaded. 

Meis swallowed. He began to walk, motioning Gueira to follow. He almost objected, but bit his tongue. They left earshot of the camp, with no burnish in sight. Meis found a good sized rock and sat down. 

“What do you want to know?” 

“What?” Gueira raised an eyebrow. 

“I’ll tell you anything you want to know. To prove to you that I trust you.” Meis bit his cheek. “I… haven’t been fair to you. I know that. I want to punch that grin off your face sometimes. I want to scream and argue with you about your impulsive behavior. If I didn’t have a strict no-kill policy, there’s a chance I would have tried to murder you on that night. But,” Meis punctuated, “now that I’ve been around you, I can’t deny that you are good. You’re just chaotic. And you truly want to help the burnish, help me. I need to let go of my resentment.” 

Meis leaned forward. “So what do you want to know about me? I’m an open book for you. Do you wanna know about my band? When I got my powers? How I started the settlement?” 

Gueira chuckled to himself. “You really hate me because I’m impulsive?” He put emphasis on the word. “If you want impulsive,” he stepped closer and leaned down, his face inches away from Meis’s. “Why don’t you punch this grin off my face?” 

“What?” Meis breathed. 

“You said you wanted to. It would make us even. I punch your man, you punch me.” 

“I can’t just do that!” Meis’s face flushed red. 

“Any why not?” Gueira showed his sharp teeth. “No one else is around. I won’t fight back. Go ahead. Get it out of your system. I deserve it, don’t I?” 

Meis closed his fists. “Why are you mocking me?” 

“You still don’t trust me.” Gueira rolled his eyes. “Just hit me! Stop pulling back your punches! I’m standing here in nothin’ but my skivvies, just go for it!” 

“No!” Meis shot up to his feet. 

“What, are you too scared? You don’t need to lie, I can see it in your eyes.” 

“Would you just! Shut! Up!” Meis blindly swung a fist at Gueira’s face. He calmly caught it in his own hand. 

“Try again.” 

Meis’s eyes went wide. He pulled back his hand, burnish armor building over his knuckles as he swung back down. Gueira smoothly dodged it. 

“I thought you were faster.” Gueira teased. 

Meis felt his blood start to boil. The whispers of fire filled his mind, rage blinding every action. 

“Fine. You want me to punch you so fucking bad?” Meis’s growled. “Pucker up.” His armor wrapped around his body in an instant, its blue hue brighter than the sunrise. 

“That’s more like it!” Gueira smiled maniacally. Using his own blood red fire, he summoned his atv, hopping on top of it. “Catch me if you can!” He slapped his ass playfully as he punched the gas. Dust covered the air. 

“Gueira!” Meis screamed, coughing out the dirt. He summoned a ring of flames around the vehicle before it could get far. As he ran closer, he closed the circle, trapping Gueira in the center. 

But, when he got there, he wasn’t in the center. Gueira stood directly in the cyan fire, the flames licking at the frame of his body. Meis froze. 

“You. You can’t do that! That’s my flame, that’s supposed to hurt you!” 

Gueira shook his head. “It did, when we first met. Those shackles hurt like a bitch! But now,” Gueira balled some of the flame in his hand, which turned to smoke immediately. “You don’t actually want to hurt me.” A sly grin creeped onto his face. 

“What did I say?” Meis breathed. 

“Hmm? Speak up?” 

“What did I say,” Meis spoke louder, his voice rising into a crescendo, “About knocking that stupid grin off your face?!” 

“Oh shit,” Gueira hopped back onto his atv. “Dude, I did my experiment, I showed you my point, you can stop being angry!” He kicked it into high gear, busting through the fire and racing away. 

“You don’t have to be so smug!” Meis screamed at the top of his lungs, his voice growing hoarse. His fire grew higher the more he yelled. He summoned his motorbike out of the air, which fell hard to the ground, kicking up sand. Meis swung a leg over, driving at the speed of light. It took only seconds to meet side by side, Gueira frantically trying to steer away. 

“Listen man, I’m sorry I got ya all worked up! That was dumb! You know me by now, I’m super fuckin’ dumb, man!” 

Meis wasn’t listening. All he could hear was the fire inside him, begging to burn brighter. He bashed into the side of the atv, Gueira nearly losing control. He kept attacking, using his flame to push harder and harder. Gueria, in a fit of panic, jumped off the atv. Using his flame, he skidded in the air a bit, landing on top of Meis’s bike, hanging onto the handlebars. 

Just as Gueira opened his mouth to speak, Meis violently braked, sending the two men flying forward. As they toppled and spun through the dunes, Meis’s armor flashed away, leaving him to get whipped around by the sand. Their bodies laid there a moment, paralyzed from the shock of impact. 

In their shock, neither realized that Meis had fallen directly on top of Gueria. 

Meis shut his eyes tight for a moment before taking in the scene. Slowly, he raised an arm. 

Gueira only realized a second too late. “W-Wait! Meis, we can talk about-!” 

Meis decked him as hard as he could, straight to the jawline. Gueira laid there a moment. 

“Yeah. I deserve that.” He sighed. 

Meis pushed himself up to his knees, sitting on his feet. He took a deep breath through his nose and out his mouth. “You know, usually in these situations in movies, they say that the punch didn’t even feel that great. But I can’t lie, that felt pretty fuckin’ great.” 

“Well, I’m glad you got it out of your system.” Gueira grumbled as he pulled himself up. 

“I gotta ask though, how’d you know my fire wouldn’t hurt you?” 

“I didn’t.” Gueira shrugged. “I just put my trust in you.” 

Meis chuckled. “You really are a dumbass.” He got to his feet, holding out a hand. Gueira took it, using it to help stand as well. 

“I do what my gut tells me.” Gueira spoke. “It may seem dumb, but it usually works.” 

Meis hummed. “Is your gut telling you to keep holding my hand too?” 

Gueira’s face went pale as he realized he was still holding on tight. He swiftly yanked his hand back to his chest. “N-yes! Yeah, my gut told me to do that. It tells me to do all sorts of dumb stuff. You just gotta roll with it.” 

“Uh-huh.” Meis hid a smile, deciding to drop the topic. “Do you trust me now?” 

Gueira swung his arms behind his head. “If nothin’ else, I know you’re a man of your word, that’s for damn sure.” He teased. “But nah man, I trust ya.” 

“I trust you too.” Meis sighed relief. “Now, let’s go get you some pants.”


	5. Beginnings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The settlement construction is finally complete, and Meis and Gueira get ready for their coming mission.

The rest of the construction went smoothly. By the afternoon of the next day, everything was set into place. It looked very similar to their last set up, the main difference being using the plateau for structural integrity. Meis decided to christen the new settlement with a group bonfire, where all of the burnish could collect their flames in a sign of peace and unity. Meis invited Gueira and his group as well, since this would be the last night they would be resting at the settlement. Tomorrow night would finally separate the groups, and Gueira would lead his nomadic troop elsewhere. 

Meis was unsure how to feel. He had finally made peace with the guy, and they had built this new camp together. He was in his debt, no doubt. But a selfish part of him was ready to be alone once more. 

He looked around, burnish of all ages, races, and gender surrounding the fire pit. Every single one had tired eyes, clearly exhausted from work or anxiety. Yet they were still gathered, chatting and laughing as though this was perfectly normal. Which, at this point, he guessed it was normal. 

Meis scanned the crowd, looking for that flash of red and black hair. After a moment he gave up, clearing his throat to project his voice. 

“Everyone! Everyone, may I have your attention?” Meis belted over the chatter. The crowd slowly silenced, small pockets of children still whispering excitedly. “I know it’s been a… rough week. And that’s putting it lightly. But we are here to put that behind us! Please, let us instead celebrate our new home! And celebrate our new friendship, with the burnish led by Gueira. And to encourage this newfound strength, let us join our flame into one, and let the resulting fire speak to our souls of unity! Burnish are strong, and we will survive, together!” Meis threw his fist up in the air, and the crowd mimicked it with a resounding “yeah!”. He flicked his wrist, a small blue fire lighting in his palm. With a swing of his arm, the fire shot to the center of the fire pit, feasting on the kindle that had been prepared. More and more colored flames blinked in and out from the ring of burnish, the fire in the center growing larger and brighter. The colors of everyone’s flame shone through as heat radiated through the camp. There was a collective rejoicing, the sound as loud as the flame. But even when the voices died back down to chatter, the flame burned hotter. 

Meis smiled as he looked at his people. He felt a sense of pride puff his chest up a little higher. It was times like this that he was humbled to be their leader. Yet something still felt bittersweet to him, although he couldn’t put his finger on why. He pushed the feeling down as shook his head. As Meis began to walk away toward his hut, an arm jutted out of the crowd, stopping him in his tracks. 

“You know it’s rude to leave a fire you started unattended.” Gueira teased. 

Meis acknowledged the joke with half a laugh. Ever since their fight, conversation had gotten much easier. Enjoyable, even. “I gotta grab my bass. Promised the kids a song yesterday.” 

“Do you play for them everyday?” 

“Just about.” Meis scratched his neck. “It’s a special occasion anyway, I don’t mind.” 

“Oh, by the way,” Gueira awkwardly interjected, “I uh, me and my guys actually went and got stuff for s’mores. I’m not sure it’s enough to go around for everyone, but what’s a bonfire without s’mores?” 

“Where did you get stuff to make s’mores?” 

“We have our ways.” Gueira looked at the ground. “Doesn’t matter,” he snapped back up, “I can hand ‘em out to the kids while you play.” 

“That’s actually really thoughtful.” Meis smiled. “I’m sure they’ll love it.” 

“Wait, is that an actual smile? A real, genuine smile from the burnish leader Meis?” Gueira nudged his side. 

“The first and the last time you’ll ever see it.” Meis nudged him back. “Go on, I’ll be right there.” 

They shared a quick fist bump, a sign to get started. Meis jogged to his hut and ducked in, quickly grabbing the bass and swinging the strap over his shoulder. He flipped it so that the guitar hung on his back, making it easier to walk back. Gueira had managed to gather most of the kids in a semicircle next to the bonfire. Adults were helping them make s’mores, burning them to be perfectly melted and sticky. Meis ran up to Gueira, who playfully bowed and gave him ‘stage’ space. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Gueira stick a tongue out at him. 

“How are y’all liking those s’mores?” Meis projected his voice enough for the kids. 

A cacophony of voices spoke, but the resounding answer was “good”. 

“Did you all thank Gueira for getting you them?” Meis gestured to him. 

“Thanks Mr. Gueira!” The crowd spoke in unison. Gueira looked like a scared cat, his hair on end and his eyes wide. 

He waved them off, trying to move the attention. “No problem, kids. Glad you like ‘em. The real fun is about to happen- you guys wanna hear a song?” 

The crowd erupted into cheers. Meis motioned for them to calm down. “What song do you want to hear?” 

Murmurs traveled between the kids. After a moment, a girl raised her hand high, saying “Nexus”. The rest of the kids nodded excitedly, clapping their hands as they repeated the word. 

Gueira leaned in close to Meis. “What the hell’s a Nexus?” 

“It means a connection.” Meis focused on tuning the bass. “You’ll figure it out.” 

Gueira shrugged, backing off once more. 

The tempo was much faster than the song Gueira heard him play before. He found himself almost immediately tapping his foot to the beat. Meis’s voice was still deep, but something about this song made it feel lighter and full of life. He was also much more active, stomping his foot and bouncing his shoulders for emphasis. There was a pure toothy smile spread across his face. 

Meis banged his head as he got to the chorus, his long navy hair coming undone from its bun and flying chaotically. 

“Do I come from the fire? We’re going back, oh yeah!” Meis stomped, and looked over to Gueira. “So spend some time with me, I really like your company.” Meis winked and flipped his hair, unable to see Gueira’s reaction. His stomach flipped, but he ignored the feeling. He focused on the children, pure joy in their eyes. “We’re not so different! Flip that coin, it doesn’t matter. And if we don’t survive, I’d rather die than live a lie!”

It was clear the kids didn’t really comprehend the lyrics fully, but they clapped their hands to the beat anyway. They were enthralled by Meis’s talent. Meis caught Gueira in his periphery, who was attempting to duck out of the commotion. He kept a mental note of what direction he ran off to. 

The kids encouraged song after song, and Meis felt inclined to keep playing. It had been so long since he played his heart out like this, it was almost cathartic. And to see every young burnish smile and cheer him on- he couldn’t easily back away from that. With such a bright and beautiful bonfire raging behind him, he felt powerful. It was only when he had to stop and catch his breath that he considered the fact he should probably stop performing. 

“Alright kids,” Meis swung his bass to his back. “That’s all I’ve got in me tonight. But thanks for being such a wonderful audience.” He bowed dramatically, his hair flipping in front of his face. He sheepishly pulled it back as he stood straight. 

“Awh! One more!”

“Yeah, Mr. Meis! One more song!”

“Please?”

Meis shook his head. “Next time. Why don’t you all run around, play tag or something?” 

Murmurs went through the crowd again, and Meis made his leave before the gallery came to a decision. Someone else could entertain them for a bit. He should probably see where Gueira ran off to. 

“Mr. Meis!” Two boys ran in front, stopping him in his tracks. 

“Sorry kids, I told ya. No more songs for ton”-

“Are you and Mr. Gueria partners?”

“Yeah! Are you guys together?”

Meis felt his entire face burn. “Now, where in the world did you two get that idea?”

“Well, we’re partners too,” one of the boys motioned to the other. 

“We’re best friends!” 

“And you an’ Mr. Gueira seem like best friends too! You’re always doin’ stuff together.”

“And remember that one time that Mr. Meis had to bring him back in his underwear?” They both chuckled. 

“Exactly! So we were wonderin’ if you guys are friends like us!” 

Meis laughed as he hid his face in a hand. “Ah, I misunderstood the first time. I don’t know exactly if you would call us best friends, but we have gotten close, yes. I would say we make good partners when the time calls for it.” 

“So Mr. Gueira is gonna stay here with us?” 

Meis felt himself grow pale. 

“Well, duh. You don’t just let your partner leave!” The boys began to playfully roughhouse with each other. Before Meis could object, they ran away happily. 

That wasn’t going to be a pleasant conversation when the time arose. But for now, Meis just took a deep breath. This is a night of celebration, let them have their fun. He shook his head clear and continued walking. 

After a bit of searching, it seemed like Gueira wasn’t even in the settlement. Even when he asked other burnish, no one knew where he had gone to. Meis decided to go to the outskirts for a better view, and surprisingly found Gueira sitting alone, looking out across the rolling dunes. 

“Thought I might find you here.” Meis lied, sitting down beside him. 

Gueira scoffed as he took a drag from his cigarette. “Kids get tired of ya?” 

“I got tired of them,” Meis shook his head. “I don’t know how they can be so full of energy all the time.” 

“You’re askin’ me.” Gueira scrounged in his pocket, pulling out another cigarette. “Want one?” 

“Didn’t think you’d ever ask.” Meis took it and promptly set it alight. After a long drag, he spoke again. “What about you? Thought you were a party person, what are you doing out here?” 

“I’m more of a party person if I know I’ll forget everything by the morning, if you catch my drift.”

“Ah, that explains it.” Meis nodded. “But, sometimes it is fun to remember these moments. Hold onto when people are happy.” 

“Suppose that’s true.” Gueira leaned back. “I guess I’m just too focused on tomorrow. If I can be honest with you.” 

“You’re nervous? I didn’t think that was possible.” 

“I know it’s gonna work.” Gueira waved him off. “I’m strong enough alone to fend off a thousand freeze force idiots! And with you, it’ll be a damn breeze.” Gueira breathed out a puff of smoke. “But Vulcan? He still scares me man. I’ve had too many close scrapes with him.” 

“Maybe because you’re always running headfirst into danger?” Meis raised a brow. “If you weren’t so reckless, we wouldn’t even be in this mess.” 

Gueira bit his tongue. “We’ve argued enough man. After tomorrow, we can move past all of it, yeah?” 

“I’m not arguing.” Meis shook his head. “I’m just stating a fact. Your way of leading is vastly different from mine. I don’t understand it. But, just because I don’t understand, doesn’t mean it’s not valid. I mean, you’ve gotten this far flying by the seat of your pants.” 

“I like spontaneity.” Gueira shrugged. “Enemy can’t know your next move if you don’t know it either. Keeps ‘em on their toes.” 

Meis laughed. “That’s very true. I still don’t know what’s going through your head.” 

“That’s where I like to keep ya.” Gueira playfully shoved him. “You act like you don’t do the same though! I have no idea what you’re ever thinkin’. Other than I’m sure you’re excited for us to be outta your hair.” 

Meis looked at the ground, focusing on the taste of tobacco on his tongue. “Thought I’d be easier to read than that. Did you listen to that first song at all?” 

Gueira suddenly became pink. “Well, yeah. Most of it. Why?” 

“I literally said ‘I really like your company’.” Meis rolled his eyes. “Yes, you are much more impulsive and lead a more dangerous life than I do, but I have grown to enjoy your company. Everyone at the camp has enjoyed this partnership.” 

“Too bad it’ll end tomorrow then.” Gueira looked away, unable to look him in the eye. “I can’t stick in one place like you do. I feel like a sitting duck.” 

Meis nodded. “I’m sure we’ll meet again later.” 

“Maybe.” Gueira got to the end of his cigarette, jabbing the butt into the ground. “Let’s just focus on getting our men back. We’re doing this for Jay and… Quinn, was it?” 

“Yeah.” Meis looked up as Gueira stood. “And for all the other burnish in that caravan.” 

“Hell yeah.” Gueira rested his arms behind his head. “I’m gonna go rest. Catch ya later.” 

“Yeah.” Meis gave a small wave, and watched as Gueira walked back into the camp. The bonfire raged, the sky lighting up a vibrant purple.


	6. Escape

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The mission is underway. Meis prays it goes as planned.

Night had fallen. Meis and Gueira laid on their stomachs on a hill, obscured by some bushes. Gueira’s burnish hid a few feet behind, hugging the incline. On the other side of the hill was a beaten up backroad. The area had all but been abandoned. 

“Are you sure it was tonight?” Meis whispered. 

“Shut up.” Gueira hissed. “They’re coming.” 

They felt the rumble of the tires before they heard it. After a minute, a short caravan of three trucks began speeding their way. Gueira gave a quick signal behind him, and entered a position like he was about to pounce. He held a hand up to Meis- three, two, one. 

Meis raised a wall of fire on the road, baby blue rising into the sky. The trucks quickly spun out, breaking as hard as they could. Gueira pushed off, jumping high. In the air, he summoned his armor, the weight of it crashing into the front car. The car flipped, the side digging into the ground. 

Meis jumped up and summoned his armor. Another blue wall of flame rose from the other side of the road, making sure the cars couldn’t retreat. At that cue, the rest of the burnish ran in, blasting fire seemingly at random. 

Gueira punched into the window of the car, filling the inside with red flame. A large fist punched him, sending him flying like an explosion. Meis almost rushed toward him, but Gueira quickly got back to his feet. Instead, Meis ran toward the other cars, making his hand blades as hot as he possibly could. The back of the cars melted like butter underneath it, the metal doors falling and creating a large opening. Several burnish were curled together in both cars. 

“You’re safe! Follow these guys!” Meis instructed the scared burnish. Gueira’s burnish team began escorting them- some were taken to safety, and others stayed to help distract and fight. The drivers of the cars hopped out, armed to the teeth with freezing ammunition. Both locked onto Meis. 

Vulcan crawled out of the wreckage of the first truck, a cruel smile twisting his face. “You wanna go again? We’ll go again! And this time,” Vulcan pulled out a submachine gun, full of freezing rounds, “you ain’t gettin’ away!” He yelled, and pulled the trigger. Gueira raised a wall of fire, which promptly shattered under the rain of bullets. He instead rushed forward, the rain of bullets chipping at his armor. Gueira summoned a large bat and swung it at full force against Vulcan’s skull. The sound of the crack shuddered down Meis’s spine. 

He had something more important to focus on. The guns aimed at him had begun to fire, and Meis swiftly dodged them. He deftly danced between the bullets as he summoned his own weapon, a scythe, and brought it down on one of the guns. It was split in two, the man holding it suddenly showing fear in his eyes. He was still holding down the trigger, praying for the broken gun to work. Meis flipped his scythe, using the rod to hit the man directly between the eyes. He slumped to the ground, unconscious. 

The other man still shot at Meis, and now with even more fervor. The armor on his left arm, from bicep to shoulder, had blasted off. Meis retreated behind a truck for a moment, trying to recover it, but it was no use. He glanced at the other burnish, most of which were now retreating over the hills. The window beside Meis erupted into shards, the man shooting at him holding a maniacal smile. 

Gueira suddenly slid behind Meis. “Oi! Could use some help!” 

“A bat to the head didn’t knock him out?” Meis cried. Gueira looked worse for wear himself, bits of armor cracked and missing. 

“It’s fucking Vulcan! What did you expect? Now hurry up and help!” Gueira pushed off, rushing in to Vulcan once more. 

“Little busy,” Meis spoke through his teeth as another round of bullets traced his silhouette. He catapulted over the hood of the car, spinning his scythe overhead. He brought the blade down on the gun, which fired in the air as it was knocked out of the man’s hand and onto the ground. Meis pushed the tip of the blade into the metal, shattering the gun’s chamber. 

As he turned around, a fist connected to his helmet, breaking open a piece of his visor. He stuttered back, surprised as the retaliation. It left him prone long enough that the man was able to reach into a pack on his belt, pulling out a pistol. Meis lunged for it as the man shot, several freezing bullets cutting through the air. His hands burned as he swiftly shifted his palms around the man’s wrists, building handcuffs. Meis pulled the man’s hands over his head as they scuffled, and drew the cuffs tight. The man shot off one more round before the cuffs made him drop the pistol. It was a lucky shot, hitting Meis above his bicep. He recoiled as he held a hand over the wound- the bullet had made a sizable gash as it went right through the muscle. Blistering cold locked his shoulder tight. Crystals of ice stopped the bleeding, but also slowly encased his skin. Meis pushed the man down as he resummoned his scythe, bringing the pole down on the back of the man’s neck. Any laughing he had been doing ceased in an instant. 

Meis winced as he gingerly held his arm. The only burnish still out here were him and Gueira. It was time to go. 

Vulcan shot a steady stream of ice bullets, which grew and crystallized across any surface they hit. Gueira jumped to the side as a small wall of ice erected itself. Meis braced his arm as he bust through it, the frost somehow chilling his core even more. 

“Gueira! Let’s go!” 

“Not yet!” 

“What?” Meis screamed. 

“I’m taking down this dickhead!” Gueira yelled back as he charged again, swinging wildly. Vulcan took every hit, but still stood still as a boulder. Vulcan just laughed as he switched guns. 

“You should listen to your friend,” Vulcan cocked the gun. 

“He’s not,” Gueira pulled back, fire raging on his fists, “my friend!” He pushed as hard as he could, engulfing the man in dark red flame. 

The ice on Meis’s arm began to crawl over his shoulder. It pumped through his veins, making him exponentially weaker. His helmet was all but gone. “Gueira!” 

“Shut up!” Gueira punched harder and harder. “Shut up, shut up, shut up!” 

Vulcan pushed back with the combined force of each punch, sending the redhead flying back. Gueira’s helmet and chest were completely exposed as he crumpled to the ground. 

Meis swore under his breath as he ran toward him. Just as he bent down to check on his vitals, Gueira shot up and pushed him out of the way. 

“Listen here, ya deft shit eattin’ asshole! You took my life away, you ruined all of these people’s lives, and now I’m gonna take yours!” Gueira stuttered forward, his body weak, but his flame burned bright. 

Meis stood in shock, unsure what to do. His arm screamed in pain. His mouth moved before he could think- “You’re a dumbass!” 

Gueira still pushed forward. Vulcan just stood there waiting. This had to be a trap, he was always two steps ahead. 

Slowly, Vulcan raised his gun. “Take another step forward. I’m sure your rats will do fine without a leader, right?” 

“If I take you down with me, they won’t need a leader.” 

Gueira took a step. 

“I wasn’t aiming at you.” 

Meis could only see a blur. A shot of ice, barreling toward him in slow motion, only to be stopped by a flash of black and red. He thought he heard his name yelled, but he wasn’t sure. A moment after, his vision snapped back. Gueira laid prone on the ground, his armor completely gone, an explosion of ice protruding from under his neck. 

“Trying to kill the weaker one always makes the stronger one a hero.” Vulcan kicked Gueira hard, his body rolling closer to Meis. “Making taking you out a piece of cake.” Vulcan cocked his gun. 

Meis panicked. He used an extra limb on his armor to pick up Gueira and started sprinting, as fast as his legs could take him. 

“Go ahead and run! It makes it more fun!” Vulcan screamed after them and began firing. The bullets whizzed past Meis’s face. 

The last car seemed relatively unharmed. Meis tore open the driver’s side door and flung Gueira into the backseat. As he climbed in, he tugged out the wires under the wheel, quickly hot wiring it to start. With ice creeping up the tires, Meis kicked it into full gear, speeding away back down the street and across the fields. 

Vulcan was unable to chase them, that much was relieving. But there had to be a tracker on the car. They wouldn’t be safe for long. 

They drove at the highest speed for a few minutes, until every direction was completely clear. Meis focused as hard as he could, but his sight began to waver and dim. He slowed the car to a stop, collapsing into the seat. Behind him, Gueira looked even worse. The shot was right above his heart, and the ice crawled fast. 

“Gueira. Can you hear me? Are you with me?” Meis heated up his hand to melt the ice, but to no avail. He couldn’t get warm enough either. Gueira laid silent. 

“Goddamnit. I want you to shut up all the time, but when I need you to talk, you stop. Typical.” Meis dragged the body up and out of the car. “We need to get away from this car, I gotta carry you.” Meis threw him over his good shoulder in a fireman’s carry. 

He only made it a few feet. Meis promptly fell to the ground, his muscles turned to ice. He saw Gueira’s pale face fall beside him. The smallest puff of ash rose out of Gueira’s mouth as Meis fell unconscious. 

Only moments after, he could hear something faint. 

“-era! …. M… Oss? Mei-! B…” 

Finally, all of his senses fell to the void.


	7. Recovery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meis wakes up in the infirmary. Gueira is badly hurt.

It felt like his body had been run over by a steam roller. Or perhaps torn apart, sewed together, and torn apart again. Or if you slammed a hammer down on every single inch of his skin. Perhaps all of those put together got the closest. 

He strained himself too much, he knew that. But it was the bullet- it had to have been a new experiment. The blood that burned in his veins had frozen solid, slowing his heartbeat and making it hard to breathe. A shot in the shoulder should not debilitate someone like this. There had to be some kind of chemical in it, something that dulled his connection to fire. 

Meis hesitantly opened his eyes, scared of where he might be. A wave of relief crashed over him as he saw the familiar sight of the new settlement. There were some other burnish there, keeping their fires alight around him. Between that and a foil blanket wrapped around him, he could feel his blood begin to move as his vitals became steady. 

Slowly, he turned his head to the side, hoping to see his wound. It was covered tight with bandages, only a slight bit of red poking through. He tried to move a finger on his left hand, but it was still frozen stiff. 

“Oh! You’re awake! Thank lord!” A rosy woman jogged over to him, kneeling to his eye level. “How are you feeling? Can I get you anything?” 

It was even hard to move his jaw. He felt pathetic. “Pain.” 

Her face scrunched up. “I know, I’m real sorry we can’t do more. We’ve got you heatin’ back up as fast as we can. When you can summon your own fire again, your body should heal much more rapidly, and you’ll be right as rain! It’s just… gettin’ to that part.” 

“Gu.. Gueira?” 

Her face turned even more somber. “Still not awake. He got hit pretty close to his heart. I promise we’re doing everything we can. We got the bullet out no problem, and we’ve got a few medics on him at all times.” 

“Tha..nk you.” Meis tried to smile. 

“I should be thanking you. You brought my husband back.” She beamed. “I’ll leave you to rest, make any noise and I’ll be here to help in a jiffy!” She lightly tapped the cot as she pushed herself up, moving somewhere else in the room. 

Nothing to do but rest. Meis looked back up at the ceiling, which was just a tarp here, and fell back asleep. 

—

“Meis! Wake up Meis!” 

“Yeah! We wanna burn!” 

“Burn, burn! Let your fire touch the sky!” 

“Let it burn hotter than the core of the earth!” 

“Let your flame cover all land and sea!” 

Childlike laughter rang like bells. 

“Burn, burn, burn!” 

— 

Meis shot up, blue flame covering his body. His heart raced as he gulped in air, almost like he had forgotten how to breathe. He coughed, smoke rising out of his lungs. 

He managed to call back the fire, sitting straight in his cot. His body was still incredibly sore, especially down his left arm. He raised a hand to the bandage, slightly more red than the last time he woke up. And now a bit scorched. He’d have to change that later. 

There was a loud commotion coming from past a tarp. A lot of people shuffling and bickering. Meis pushed himself off the cot, a little surprised he could support his own weight already. He jogged over and pushed the tarp away. 

There were four burnish all panicking around a cot, speaking so fast that Meis couldn’t understand the conversation. But he saw Gueira, laying in the middle, his skin turning blue. His fingers had begun to fall into ash. 

Meis’s heart dropped. The fire woke him up to save his life. He had to do something. 

Meis pushed away a path to Gueira’s bedside. The makeshift nurses panicked, unaware that Meis was even awake until now, let alone moving around. He ignored them all, focusing on the dying man. 

“Burn!” A voice chimed in his ear. He shook it off. 

Meis positioned himself to start CPR. He pushed hard underneath Gueira’s ribs, counting beneath his breath. He would stop every few, listening for a heartbeat. 

“Burn!” 

Meis felt tears threatening to fall down his face. “Don’t die! On me! You stupid! Bastard!” He yelled with each pulse. 

“BURN!” The voice screamed. 

Meis took in a deep breath, his blue flames swirling on his lips. He pressed his mouth to Gueira’s, breathing into his lungs. He lingered, letting his fire take place in his chest. He felt the conversation between their flames- a flickering dance overtop Gueira’s heart. Meis felt his lips become warmer, and he pulled away. 

The ash was gone, his fingers regenerating. The blue of his skin slowly turned back to a healthy pink. Gueira’s chest began to faintly rise and fall with his breathing. And finally, his tired dark brown eyes opened. 

“You’re alive?” Meis spoke in awe. He blinked back his tears. 

“Did you… save me?” Gueira asked. 

“I couldn’t just leave you there.” Meis teased. 

“Meis…” Gueira searched his eyes. “I- I’m so sorry. I was dumb, I”- He coughed, and Meis could see the pain shooting through his body. 

“We’ll talk later. You sleep first, alright?” 

Gueira gave a small nod. 

“If I hear about you punching a nurse to get up, I’ll kill you myself, got it?” 

Gueira groaned. “Fine.” 

Meis suddenly realized that he was still embarrassingly close to Gueira’s face. He stood up straight, only to see the nurses in complete shock. His face blushed pink. 

“Meis!” The woman from before broke the silence, wrapping her arms around him. He chuckled, shyly hugging her back. “I’m so glad to see you fit as a fiddle again! You sure you don’t need more rest hun? You’re still awfully pale.” 

“Actually, I might take you up on the offer.” Meis scratched his neck. “I think I moved a little too quickly.” He slowly felt the pain on his left side reappear. 

“You go lay down, I’ll fetch ya some water.” She patted him on the back. He nodded a thank you and retreated back to his cot. 

Could his fire really have woken him up to save Gueira? Or was it a coincidence? It had to be the latter. It just didn’t make sense. Meis shook his head of the thought as he laid back down and closed his eyes. 

—

Slowly but surely, Meis felt his whole body revitalize. All of his pain had subsided, save for his wound. It would surely scar, but he didn’t really care about that. He’d just be happy when he didn’t have to keep bandages on it. 

After he woke up, he decided to walk around the settlement and make sure everyone was okay. A few more huts had been built for the sudden influx of people. Almost everyone went along with their daily routine, as if nothing had happened yesterday. Meis waved as everyone welcomed him back, thanking him profusely. He almost felt embarrassed from all the attention, so he would just nod with a shy smile. 

“Meis! Wait up!” A male voice called out. Meis whipped around to see Quinn running up to him. 

“You’re back! It’s so good to see you well!” Meis beamed. 

“Yeah, thanks to you! You’re a miracle worker, man. I never thought I’d see Millie again. I can’t thank you enough for saving my life!” He took Meis’s hand in both of his and shook hard. 

“I always try my best to keep us together,” Meis nodded. “But I only have partial credit. You’ll need to thank Gueira too. You don’t know him, I can introd”- 

“Gueira was in on it too?” Quinn’s eyes went wide. “Jay told me all about him! You worked together?” 

“Yeah. It was for the best of everyone.” Meis shrugged. “He was actually the one with the plan. I just made sure it worked.” 

“Interesting.” Meis could see the cogs working in his brain. “I’ll thank him too, whenever he wakes up. Do you think we’ll be merging?” 

“Merging?” Meis raised a brow. 

“The two groups of burnish. You and Gueira could co-lead. I mean, if you managed to save all of us together, maybe you could do more good as a team.” 

Meis could feel his heart beating in his throat. “Ah, well… we… Gueira and I will talk about semantics when he fully recovers.” Meis stammered. 

“Makes sense.” Quinn nodded. “Sorry to keep ya, I’ll leave you to what you were doing. Thank you again!” He waved and walked back to where he came from. Meis stood still a minute, dumbfounded. 

— 

“Thought I’d find you out here.” 

Meis snapped back to reality. He had zoned out as he sat outside the perimeter, watching the wind pick up the sand. The sun had already begun to set, most of the day wasted asleep. He looked behind him, Gueira strolling up from the settlement. 

“This seat taken?” He grinned as he sat on the sand beside him. 

“Aren’t you supposed to be resting?” Meis teased. 

“Doc gave me the O.K.” Gueira pulled down his shirt, revealing a large bandage over his collarbone. “Don’t worry, I’m all patched up. And the pain’s gone- ya know, mostly.” 

Meis shook his head with a smile. “I’m glad you’re alright.” 

“I almost wasn’t.” Gueira leaned forward, resting his arms in his lap. “You’ve probably heard this enough, but… thank you.” 

“You don’t need to thank me.” 

“I do though!” Gueira met his eyes. “I told you at the beginning of it all that I wouldn’t try to kill Vulcan, and that’s exactly what I did. I let my rage get to me. I saw him alone, with no reinforcements, and limited ammunition. I thought, maybe if I just pushed hard enough, if I could even sacrifice myself,” Gueira looked down at his hands, “maybe I could save everyone.” 

Meis leaned back. “You’re a dumbass that tried to be a martyr.” 

“Well, when you say it like that!” Gueira snapped back up. 

“I’m a dumbass for saving you, too.” Meis grinned. “Any smart person would have seen you act that way, saying the things you were, and left you there to die.” 

“Why didn’t you leave me there?” Gueira hesitantly asked. 

“Because,” Meis chewed his lip. “You shouldn’t be punished for a lapse in judgment. And… as much as I hate to say it, and you’re not hearing it again, I care about you, man.” 

Gueira’s face blushed bright red. “I...is that why…?” 

“Why what?” Meis looked up at him. 

“You kissed me earlier?” 

Meis’s eyes went wide, fire instantly igniting at his fingertips. He buried them in the sand in a desperate attempt to put them out. 

“It wasn’t a kiss! It was CPR!” 

“There was more to it than that.” 

“I was saving your life!” 

“Then explain why our flames were so compatible!” 

Meis froze. “You felt that too?” 

“Of course I did! It was the first thing I felt that wasn’t pain. I felt your fire kickstarting mine, but it was different, man! I don’t know what it was, but it wasn’t just CPR.” 

“I… I don’t know either. The flames are bizarre. No one can understand them.” Meis redirected. 

“True, but…” Gueira scrunched his face in thought. The two men were silent for a moment, trying to think of what to say. 

“When I was fighting Vulcan,” Gueira started. 

“You don’t have to talk about it.” Meis interrupted. 

“Just listen.” Gueira stopped him. “When we were fighting, I don’t remember everything I said. But I do remember him calling you my friend. And in panic, I told him that you weren’t. I knew, I just knew, if he thought we were together in any capacity, he would kill you. I thought if I denied the connection, he might leave you alone.” 

Meis sat silent, shocked. 

“You’re the first burnish- first person- who doesn’t take my bullshit. But you’re still so nice to me. And you’re doing amazing things for the burnish community, things I could never do. If Vulcan were to kill one of us, I needed it to be me.” 

“Gueira, I- I don’t know what to say. I’m flattered, but you’re just as important to these people. We wouldn’t have even saved the burnish at all if it wasn’t for your plan. We would all be sitting ducks if you didn’t help us move somewhere safe. I may have just saved your life but… you saved mine too, in the long run.” 

Gueira blinked, astonished. “I suppose you’re right. I guess I’m just really glad we both made it out of there.” 

“Me too.” Meis took a deep breath. He wrung his hands, suddenly remembering his conversation with Quinn earlier today. “Hey, can I tell you something, Gueira?” 

“Yeah?” He shrugged. “What’s up?” 

Meis silently built up his courage before finally speaking. “Before I turned burnish, I was part of a band.” 

“I know this.” 

“Shut up and listen.” Meis playfully pushed him, shaking his head. “There were four of us. We were called WindStorm.” 

“Edgy.” 

“Enough from the peanut gallery.” Meis rolled his eyes. “Seriously. Anyway, we were good. We got pretty popular, and we started touring. I had to leave my mom and little sister behind, but I’d be back after the tour was done. The day I turned burnish was…” he counted on his fingers, “about two years ago? We were on stage. My adrenaline was pumping, and without warning, I started to breathe fire while I sang. Like a damn dragon. Audience loved it- they thought we poured money into pyrotechnics. But I just started screaming. My band freaked out, and I accidentally burned two of them… I ran out the back. And I just kept running.

I managed to calm myself down with some meditation. I’ve always had problems with anxiety, so it was actually useful to know breathing techniques. I entered a bar and ordered a drink. Midway through it, I heard two girls freaking out from across the room. Their friend had gone to the concert, and sent them a video of me puking fire. I downed the rest of my drink and booked it before they could notice me. 

As for how I became leader here, that I’m actually unsure. While I was running, a burnish had found me. They saw the video on the news and searched for me. They offered to take me to their camp, and I accepted. They didn’t have much, and I did a lot for them. After bringing them enough blankets and food, they just collectively agreed that I was the best leader out of all of them, and it stuck.” 

Gueira’s eyes were wide. 

“You can speak now.” Meis held his arm.

“I really had to die to coax that out of you?” 

“I’m gonna kill you. I regret everything.” Meis slapped his face. 

“Kidding, kidding! Mostly.” Gueira waved his hands. “For real though man, that’s heavy. I really appreciate you telling me.” 

“Yeah, well,” Meis smiled, “It’s only fair. I did kiss you.”

“You admit it!” Gueira jumped. 

“I don’t!” Meis shook his hands as he laughed. “It was a joke!” 

“Oh.” Gueira slumped, relieved. He chuckled to himself. “You know, your story reminded me of somethin’. You remember how I told you I turned burnish while I was layin’ with a girl?” 

“Yeah?” Meis raised a brow. 

“Yeah, well, I’ve been with a lotta women,”

“You’re straight, yes, I know.” Meis spoke. 

“I thought I was!” Gueira flailed his arms. 

“You thought?” 

“Yeah! I don’t know anymore. I noticed something, probably right before we left. I… I think I really am starting to care about a guy.” 

“No offense, since I just spilled my guts to you,” Meis stopped him. “But why are you telling me this?” 

“Because- while sure, I like women a lot… I’ve grown to like y...” Gueira mumbled the last few words. Suddenly, he shot to his feet. “I gotta go! I just remembered I, uh, need to piss.” 

“Wait, Gueira!” Meis called after him, but it was too late. He watched the man run back to the settlement as fast as he could. He shook his head, incredibly confused.


	8. Partnership

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gueira has some bad news for Meis. In lieu of it, they decide to get tattoos.

Meis stretched as he woke up, a yawn escaping his chest. Across the room, Gueira sat on the floor holding a tin can. 

“Rise and shine.” Gueira grumbled as he reached behind him. He pulled out another can and threw it to Meis, who clumsily caught it. 

“I’ll rise. I won’t shine.” Meis teased as he crawled out of his bag and sat beside him. He held the can tight, the heat boiling the contents inside. “Thanks for breakfast.” 

“Yep.” Gueira knocked his own can back, draining the last of the contents. He slammed it down on the ground, lazily wrapping an arm around Meis. “So what’s on the itinerary for today?” 

“Seno’s been complaining again.” 

“Ugh, again?” Gueira rolled his eyes. “What now?” 

“Does it matter?” Meis cracked open his tin can. Inside swirled a void, tiny stars twinkling throughout. He wasn’t hungry anyway. 

“Can’t we just chill out here for a day?” Gueira pulled him close. Meis felt his stomach flip. 

“You know we shouldn’t.” Meis smirked as he rested his head on his shoulder. 

“We shouldn’t, but that doesn’t mean we can’t.” Gueira rested his hand on Meis’s jaw, pushing it up to look into his eyes. Meis glanced down at his lips and back up. Without realizing it, the gap between them began to close. 

— 

“Meis! Rise and shine!” 

A tin can hit him square in the stomach, doubling him over. He clumsily took it, pushing himself up. His hair was a mess, and he had to pull the dirty strands away to see. Gueira leaned against his doorway, arms crossed. 

“What the hell’s with the wake up call?” Meis blushed red as he pulled himself out of his sleeping bag. He pushed the dream to the back of his mind, desperately trying to forget it immediately. That was the second time he had that dream, what the hell was wrong with him? 

“I need to talk to you, and I got tired of waiting. Didn’t want to be too rude, so I got you breakfast.” 

Meis breathed a laugh. “Well, thanks for the…” he looked at the label of the can. “Peas.” 

“You can’t be picky, man.” Gueira looked away. 

“True.” Meis sighed as he stood up. He picked up his shirt from the ground and pulled it on. 

“You sleep with pants on?” Gueira refused to look at him until he put on his shirt. 

“Kids have run in here before, I’ve just learned to.” Meis shrugged. “What is it you needed to talk about?” 

“Got two things, actually. May I come in?” 

“Duh.” Meis motioned inside. “You already kinda are.” 

Gueira ignored the comment, moving fully inside. As he moved, Meis caught a glance at the bandage under his collar. Gueira waved his hand, his flames forming into a hard object, making a temporary crude chair. 

“How are you feeling, by the way?” Meis followed his example and sat down. He warmed the tin can in his hands. 

“I’m fine,” Gueira rubbed at the bandage. “It’s basically healed. Just needs a few more hours. End of the day, it’ll be like new.” He leaned forward. “But at the end of the day, I’m not sure where I should be. That’s my first question.” 

“What do you mean?” Meis popped open his can of peas. 

“My group and I, we’re nomads. We were here for a week on a mission. And the mission’s done! So…” Gueira scratched his neck, “We should get going. As soon as everyone is ready.” 

The color drained from Meis’s face. He sat paralyzed, unable to speak. 

“Uh, Dude? Meis?” Gueira leaned forward and waved his hand in front of his eyes. 

Meis snapped back. “What?” 

“You like your peas burnt?” He pointed down. Sure enough, the peas were bouncing out of the can, the skins charred. 

Meis jumped, quickly placing the can on the ground and sitting on his hands. “You can’t leave!” He blurted without thinking. 

“Why not?” Gueira raised a brow. 

“I… I need you.” 

“For what?” 

Meis struggled to think. “I- we- the settlement! Yeah! There’s strength in numbers. And we managed to make one plan work, right? Maybe we could merge? Work together for the greater good of all burnish?” 

Gueira blinked, looking him up and down. He took a deep breath. “Meis, I can’t stay here. My people would take away from your rations. I would lead you all into danger. I can’t be the reason you get hurt again.” 

Meis opened his mouth to argue, but bit his tongue. “Guess I can’t get you to change your mind, then?” 

Gueira shook his head. “If it’s alright with you, we’ll stay until sunset. Once night falls, we’ll leave, and I’ll be out of your hair forever.” 

Meis nodded. “Whatever you need, we can provide.” 

“I need Kray and Vulcan’s heads on a plate?” Gueira teased. 

“We got peas.” Meis smirked. 

Gueira laughed. It was almost surprising to hear, it was a bright, pure, laugh from a dirty, beaten man. Meis couldn’t help but join in, bubbles filling in his chest begging to escape. 

Once they calmed, Meis leaned over and playfully slapped Gueira’s knee. “You said you had two questions though. What’s the other?” 

“Oh yeah!” Gueira’s eyes shined. “Can you do tattoos?” 

“What?” Meis laughed, caught off guard. 

“It don’t need to be good. I just want something to cover up this scar once it heals. I was hoping you could ink me before I left.” 

“I haven’t done it before,” Meis held his arm. “But I’d be willing to try it. On two requests.” 

“Shoot.” 

“It’s a simple design.” 

“Done.” Gueira clapped. “And the other?” 

Meis hesitated. “I want you to tattoo me afterward.” 

Gueira jumped in his seat. “Hell yeah, that’s what I’m talking about! It’s a deal!” He held out a hand. Meis grabbed it, and they shook on it. 

— 

The rest of the day was fairly normal for Meis. Check in on folks, take count of supplies, and resolve whatever problems arose. They'd have to raid a grocery store soon with the sudden influx of people. Whatever supplies they had extra of he tried to give to Gueira, but he refused any help. Apparently a nomadic life meant not packing blankets. 

Meis couldn’t stand to see Gueira’s people gather their things to leave. He couldn’t explain why, but it made his chest heavy. When he saw Gueira sling a bag over his shoulder, he almost felt like he would puke. 

Meis beat at his head. They had only been here a week! Gueira is why they got into this whole mess! He was impulsive and chaotic and dangerous. But he was also steadfast. Passionate. He truly wanted the best for the burnish, even if it meant going about things much differently than he would. Their differences even brought out the best between them- while Gueira may not be able to stick to a plan, Meis could never rush in headfirst to a problem, and he admired him for that. 

Whatever the reason he felt this way, it didn’t matter. Gueira would leave in a few hours, and that would be it. 

“Oi! Meis!” A voice called out to him as he strolled through the camp. Gueira ran up to him, holding a small box. “Diane set us up a kit. You wanna go tat up?” 

“Oh!” Meis gulped. “Y-yeah! Sure.” 

“I kinda wanna do this in private, though. That way it has a grand reveal, ya know?” Gueira nudged him. “Mind if we go back to your place?” 

Meis shrugged. “Yeah, why not?” 

As they walked to Meis’s hut, they passed a group of kids playing. They stopped in their tracks, all waving to the two men. They shyly waved back until they turned to play again. 

“Kid’s’ll miss you too.” Meis smirked. 

“I’ll miss the lil’ anklebiters too.” Gueira shoved a hand in his pocket. “They’re good. Keep ‘em safe.” 

“Doing my best.” Meis sighed. 

Soon after, they arrived into the small hut. Meis pushed back the tarp door, letting it fall back once they got inside. Gueira flopped to the floor, sitting criss cross and opening the box. Inside, there were bottles of ink and multiple needles, along with sanitary pads and strips of cloth. 

Meis sat beside him. “So what tattoo are you thinking?” 

“Dunno yet.” Gueira set the box down. “Any ideas?” 

“You’ve gotten this far without thinking of one?” Meis panicked. 

“What’s yours gonna be, then?” Gueira raised a brow. 

Meis opened his mouth, no words coming out. “Ah. Good point.” 

Gueira laughed. “Aight, brainstorm time!” He clapped his hands together. “You have any other tattoos? Got a theme going?” 

“This is my first.” Meis spoke sheepishly.

“Ah, a tattoo virgin.” Gueira nodded. Meis was about to object, but knew better to leave it. 

“Do you have other tattoos then?” 

“Of course!” 

“What are they? Can I see them?” Meis crossed his arms. 

“Oh, I’m sure you’ll see them someday.” Gueira winked. 

Meis coughed, caught off guard. “You’re leaving in a couple hours?” 

“Bah,” Gueira waved off the thought, mumbling some words to himself. Suddenly, his eyes went wide. “Oh! Idea! Matching tattoos!” 

“What?” Meis squeaked, his face beet red. 

“That way I won’t actually be leaving.” Gueira excitedly explained. “Cuz I’ll be right there! On your shoulder!” Gueira poked Meis’s scar. 

“Is this a normal thing you do? Getting matching tattoos with someone you’ve known for a week?” 

“There’s a first for everything.” Gueira shrugged. 

Meis took a breath to steady himself. “Well, I’d be honored to be a part of this terrible idea.” 

“Good to know I rubbed off on ya.” Gueira playfully punched his arm. “So, let’s take it even further. Let’s mash up two things we both want tattooed. Best of both worlds!” 

“Oh god.” Meis hid his face in his hands. After a moment of thought, he spoke again. “I’m gonna regret this, but I’ve always wanted a tattoo of WindStorm.” 

“That’s actually thoughtful. I was just gonna say swords.” Gueira leaned back. 

“Literally, what the hell is wrong with you?” Meis laughed. 

“Better to ask what isn't. But we ain’t focusing on that right now. How do we mix these two?” 

Meis held a fist to his chin. “It would make sense to split the word. I’ll take Wind, you take Storm. Or maybe Lightning would make more sense? And then…. Sword? Blade?” 

“Wind Blade and Lightning Blade?” Gueira repeated back. “That’s pretty badass, if you ask me. And simple! You wanted simple- we can just do the kanji.” 

“Clever.” Meis grinned. “So who goes first?” 

“I’ll tat you first.” Gueira rustled in the box, getting it ready. “It’ll be your demo before you fuck it up on me.” 

“I think I’ll be too nervous to fuck up.” Meis shook his head. 

“I’ll fuck yours up on purpose, so we’ll be even.” 

“Please don’t.” 

“Joking! Mostly. Now turn away and give me your arm. Oh, and it shouldn’t hurt, but in case it does, here’s somethin’ to bite down on.” Gueira handed him a scrap of cloth as he moved close. 

Meis wasn’t about to put that cloth in his mouth, so he held it tight in his free hand instead. Gueira counted down, and the needle imbedded his skin. There was no pain, just pressure. He let his arm relax, trusting in Gueira. He pointed out how to properly tattoo as he went along. Meis tried not to watch, his heart beating faster when he did. With Gueira focusing so hard on him, his face so close to his shoulder… it was almost romantic? Meis quickly stamped out the thought. He refused to think that he liked Gueira. It was impossible. He was leaving anyway. Then again, why would he tell Meis that he wasn’t straight so randomly? 

“Now would be a terrible time to tell you I’m illiterate.” Gueira teased. 

“Are you serious?” Meis held his breath. 

“No!” He laughed. “I’m not that much of a dumbass, man. Glad to know you have faith in me.” He continued tattooing. 

“No, no! That’s not what I meant-!” 

“I’m messing with you, Meis.” 

“I’d rather you not when you’re altering my body permanently.” Meis sighed relief. 

“I’m almost done, don’t get your undies in a twist.” 

The duo was silent a moment longer as Gueira finished up. “I hope you took notes, I did good! Whatcha think?” 

Meis twisted his arm to properly see it. The blank ink was stark against his pale skin. His chest felt full as he analyzed it, each stroke carefully considered. He couldn’t help but smile dumbly. “It’s great, Gueira. I’m impressed.” 

“Let me bandage ya up so it doesn’t get infected, you’ll only need it for an hour or so.” Gueira took one out and carefully wrapped his arm. “Think you’re ready?” 

“Yeah.” Meis nodded. “About as ready as I will be, anyway.” 

“Full of confidence, love it.” Gueira stuck out his tongue. Without warning, he stripped himself of his shirt and laid down. 

“Dude!” Meis looked away, although he couldn’t help but glance. 

“What?” Gueira propped himself up. “It’s on my collar- kinda hard to do with a shirt in the way, yeah?” 

It finally clicked in his head. “Oh, oh yeah. Sorry. I’m a professional, as you can tell.” Meis grabbed the box and moved closer. He took a moment to pull his hair back, wrapping it into a low bun. When he looked back down, he saw Gueira staring awestruck. 

“You good?” Meis raised a brow. 

“Yeah! Yup!” Gueira coughed. “Lightning Blade, right here.” He clapped his hand to his chest. 

Meis hummed and readied the needle. Deep breath in, and out. He held his wrist to keep it steady, and began poking at the skin. It was almost cathartic. The simple motion was actually quite fun, although his wrist started to hurt halfway through. He tried his best to stay focused on the subject, but he couldn’t help his eyes wavering as he got more ink. Gueira lazily looked away, playing with fire on his fingertips. His collarbone jut out, and Meis had to work underneath it. He could pick out a couple ribs under his chest- Gueira was as malnourished as he was. Guess that’s what happens when you’re on the run. Yet, his stomach was still toned with muscle. Which ran right down to his hips, making a perfect indentation on his skin, leading underneath- 

Meis focused even harder on the tattoo. Just a couple more strokes, then his shirt would be back on, and his brain wouldn’t be stuck in gay panic. 

As he finished the tattoo, he leaned away to see his work. It wasn’t as perfect as Gueira’s, and he tried to go back to clean up some edges. When he was satisfied, he placed the tools down and nodded. “Whatcha think?” 

Guiera hummed as he realized it was over. He looked down, taking in the work. “Not bad! You’re a natural.” 

“I wouldn’t go that far.” Meis chuckled. He pulled out a bandage and gently stuck it on top. He tried to ignore the touch of his fingertips against his collarbone. 

“Thanks so much, man.” Gueira sat up, wrapping the box back together. “Seriously, I love it.” 

“Thank you.” Meis rubbed at his bandage. 

“By the way,” Gueira smirked. “Don’t act like you weren’t looking at my v.” He winked. 

“I was not!” Meis felt his hair stand on end. 

Gueira doubled over in laughter. Meis playfully slapped him alongside the head. 

“Put your shirt back on before you get a cold, asshole.” Meis chuckled as he stood back up, stretching out his arms. 

“Fine, fine.” Guiera mumbled as he put back on his shirt. As he stood back up, the room felt awkwardly silent. 

Gueira shifted. “Hey, so… we’ll probably leave within the hour. You’re gonna see us out, right?” 

“Of course I am.” Meis sighed. “I’ll watch from the perimeter.” 

“Okay, cool. Just, ya know. Making sure.” 

“Yeah.” There was another stretch of silence. “Shouldn’t you go to your group?” 

“Uh, yeah.” Gueira hesitated. “Just uh…” his hands held the box tight. 

Suddenly, Gueira’s arms were tight around him, hugging him close. Meis froze, but slowly returned the sentiment, wrapping his arms around his chest. 

“Thanks. For everything.” Gueira mumbled. 

“Couldn’t have done it without you.” 

They awkwardly let go, Gueira going back to holding onto the tattoo box for dear life. “I should go. See ya.” He gave a small wave and ducked past the tarp. 

“See you.” Meis spoke, more to the air than anything else.


	9. Goodbyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gueira and his group leave the Burnish camp for good. Meis falls back into the old routine.

The time went much faster than Meis would have liked. He sat on his motorcycle at the outskirts with Makoto, Gueira and his gang all on bikes in front of him. The sun had begun to set, the sky a dark purple. 

“So this is it.” Gueira spoke. He held his helmet in his arms. 

“It is.” Meis nodded. “You sure you don’t need any more supplies?” 

Gueira waved him away. “Nah, man. We’re good.” He leaned on the handles of his atv. “We’re renegades.” 

“Technically, aren’t we both?” 

“Why do you always have to be so technical?” Gueira slumped, but immediately perked back up. “We should get goin’.” 

“Don’t let us stop you.” Meis gave a bittersweet smile. 

Gueira raised a hand to the air, swinging it in a circle like a lasso. On cue, the group turned their bikes around, chatter exploding from them. Gueira looked back to the camp, back to Meis holding tight to his burning blue bike. 

“Goodbye, Meis.” 

“Goodbye, Gueira. Take care.” 

Gueira gave a half-hearted salute before popping on his helmet. The rest of his armor followed suit, his frame growing three sizes. With a wild, indecipherable yell, the bikes revved up and sped away, kicking up a cloud of red dust. Meis watched as the dust fell and settled back on the sand, the group quickly becoming ants marching toward the horizon. He leaned against the handlebars of his bike with a large sigh. Makoto was sat on her own bike just beside him, staring out across the sand dunes. 

“Let me take post for the next hour.” Meis spoke bluntly. 

Makoto jumped in her seat. “Sir! I couldn’t let you do that. This is my responsibility, you should”- 

“Your responsibility for the next hour is to rest. Go have some time with your girlfriend. I’ll keep watch.” 

“A-are you sure, sir?” 

“Positive. I’ll be right here when you get back.” 

“Thank you.” Makoto bowed her head. She handed over a small walkie talkie that was synced with the other patrolmen. “I’ll be back right on the hour, I promise.” 

“Take your time.” Meis smiled as he hooked the radio to his belt loop. 

Makoto thanked him again and rode off. Meis relaxed, his body laying limp over his bike. He stared at the horizon, unable to look away from where the last of the gang had vanished. Slowly, the sun completely disappeared, giving way to the rising moon and stars. The sands shifted as they turned blue under the moonlight. Yet Meis focused on one spot, silently wishing for a wave of shadow. 

Why did he want to sit here? It’s not like he could do anything. Gueira wasn’t going to double back and laugh at his massive prank set up. He was gone, and that was final. Yet it still helped to watch as the sliver of sun tucked itself underneath the sand, specks of stars shyly making their debut. His tattoo had mostly healed, but it currently felt like it was burning underneath his skin. He rubbed at it, tracing the strokes of the kanji. His chest felt empty. 

This was the best course of action. Gueira was a reckless distraction, calling for danger at every moment. He could finally focus on his people, on the well being of the settlement. There was no other way but forward, so he had to keep going. Meis shook out all his thoughts and took a deep breath. He knew it would be a matter of time before they creeped back- but each time he cleared his mind, maybe it would slowly get easier. 

Night fell, and all was quiet. Meis wiped away his tears. 

—

Over the next few weeks, routines fell back into their normal rut, as if Gueira and his group had never even existed. Meis and a few others had even made some successful supply runs. The settlement was thriving, thanks to everyone’s teamwork on rebuilding and restocking. The last time Freeze Force came near them was during the mission over a month ago. 

Meis pinned up a shirt to a clothesline, setting a hand on his hip. “Was that all, Coraline?” 

An elderly woman nodded. “Yes, thank you again for helping, dearie. You really didn’t need to.” 

“It’s no problem. It’s a slow day, gotta keep busy somehow.” Meis smiled and continued on his way. He was trying to help here and there with daily chores just to keep busy. He found that, if left to his own devices, he became lazy and depressed. It was always like that, but for some reason, it happened to a higher degree now. So he kept searching, keeping an eye out for anyone in need. 

After seeing nothing, he fumbled in his pockets, pulling out a cigarette. It gave him something to do, even if it was minimal. He lit it and took a deep breath, focusing on the smoke in his lungs. He let it go, the cloud of ash billowing above him. One day he’d quit, what with all the kids and elderly around him, but today wasn’t that day. He cleared his mind as he walked to his hut, away from the burnish. It might do him some good to relax a moment. 

He sat on the ground, his back leaned against the wall. His surroundings were so bland. The only color was his succulent in the corner, which was slowly dying and becoming brown. He couldn’t consider watering a plant when water was so scarce in the first place. 

Meis rolled his head back and stared at the ceiling. Why was he so sad? He shouldn’t be sad. There’s no reason to be. Everything is going smoothly. At least, as smoothly as being wanted from the government could be. He absentmindedly moved the cigarette around with his tongue, the bitter nicotine boring into his mouth. A hand rubbed at his shoulder. 

Wind Blade. God, it was so stupid and needlessly edgy. Yet there it was, embedded onto his body forever. It still made him smile nonetheless. While he thought the tattoo would be a homage to his band, it morphed into a reminder of his friend instead. That bastard is out there somewhere, with the same kanji as him plastered on his chest. Wonder if he regrets it yet. 

Meis’s mind began to wander. How was Gueira doing? He could be anywhere. The group could be resting in a rut, or terrorizing the city, it was a coin flip which one. Gueira could have been taken by Freeze Force for all he knew. And if he was taken, there’s a good chance that he was as good as dead. 

Meis took a deeper drag of his cigarette, trying to ignore that last thought. Gueira was fine- he had to be. His hands shook as he took the cigarette away from his mouth. He closed his eyes, sending out a silent prayer to anything that could hear him. Not that it’d do much, but it was the least he could do. It wasn’t like he could pack up and search for the man. That would be incredibly reckless, and unthoughtful, and- a bold action rooted in passion, just like Gueira would do.

Gueira would ride right out across the dunes, without any plans or supplies. He was a dumbass, but he had a heart of gold, and only wanted the best for those he cared about. You could see it in his eyes, those deep brown piercing eyes. They turned up as he smiled, his k-9’s protruding a bit further than his other teeth. He might randomly take his shirt off, like when they got their tattoos, showing off his flat torso. He may not be exactly sculpted, but Meis could see everything, taking in his perfect muscles. Meis could slowly snake his hands over his hips, resting them on his lower back, pulling it towards him. He would run a hand over the tattoo on his collarbone, and then behind his neck, pulling him ever closer. He could whisper in his ear, things that would make their skin burn. Their fires would dance, just as they had when Meis revived him, but now for a completely different reason. 

Meis shook his head, snapping out of it. He hadn’t had a moment like that in a while- his heart pounded in his chest. His fingertips had lit fires, which he held into a fist to put out. Meis took another drag, trying to calm himself down. Gueira had been gone for over a month. He wasn’t coming back. Meis had to get over this childish fantasy and move on.

Besides, they used to hate each other. For all he knew, Gueira still did. Maybe that’s why he left. 

Meis just had to get some fresh air. Keep busy. After a moment, he stubbed out his cigarette and ducked back outside. 

“Mr. Meis! Wanna play ball with us?” A girl immediately saw him, a small group of kids right behind her. 

“Please?” 

“Let’s play, Mr. Meis!” 

“You can be on my team.” 

“No fair! He should be on my team!” 

Meis looked around the camp. Everything was silent. He smiled and nodded. “Of course I’ll play with you. But you’ll have to teach me the rules, okay?” 

The kids erupted into cheer as they took hold of his hands, dragging him away. 

—

Even silent days wore Meis out. As soon as his head hit the pillow, he was out cold. And he was still fast asleep when he heard someone run into his hut. He groggily looked up, squinting to see who it was. 

“Meis! Sir, you need to wake up!”

“Makoto?” He pushed himself up. “What is it?” 

“There’s someone at the perimeter. Multiple someones, actually.” 

“Dangerous?” Meis crawled onto his knees and pushed himself up to his feet. His hair was wild, a part of it still braided from one of the kids. He pulled it out the best he could. 

“No, no. Friendlies.” 

“Who? Could you just let them in for the night?” 

“I think you should see who it is, sir.” 

Meis rubbed the gunk from his eyes after he pulled on a shirt. “Alright. Take me to ‘em. I’ll decide there.” 

“Yes sir.” 

The duo left the hut and summoned their bikes, riding out of the settlement.


	10. Forever

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We all know what's gonna happen here.

It only took a moment for the duo to make it to the perimeter of the camp. Meis couldn’t make out much of anything in the pitch black night. 

“What am I looking at, Makoto?” Meis hopped off his bike, which faded to ash instantly. 

“Give it a second.” She just smiled. 

Meis would normally have questioned her, but she was easily his best patrolman. She knew what was happening. 

They stared a moment longer into the abyss. Slowly, a glowing light appeared on the horizon, almost as bright as the sun. It didn’t take long to tell it was fire- these were burnish riding in. Even as far as they were, Meis could hear their maniacal laughter. And they were coming in fast, the figures quickly forming into faces he knew. Front and center was a man in full armor, three times as big as everyone else, and riding an atv. 

“Gueira?” Meis breathed, his heart racing. His vision began to blur, and he wiped his eyes. 

“It is, sir.” Makoto nudged him, a sly smile splitting her face. “You should go welcome them.” 

Meis didn’t need any more confirmation than that. He ran down the small hill and across the dunes, tripping over his feet. It was impossible to run in the sand, his shoes sinking in with each step, but he didn’t care. He ran so hard that his lungs burned, but he didn’t care. All he cared about was right in front of him. 

“Gueira!” Meis yelled out, tears streaming down his cheeks. 

“Meis!” Gueira’s armor faded away, revealing his ecstatic face. He moved to the front of his moving atv and jumped off, giving himself a running head start as he barrelled his way through the sand. He tripped a few times too, but was able to keep his pace. Meis opened his arms, and Gueira rolled right into him, nearly knocking Meis down to the ground. Gueria held on as tight as he could, pressing his face to the crook of his neck. Meis hugged him back, resting his chin on his shoulder. They embraced like this for a minute, holding onto each other for dear life. 

Meis pulled back just enough to look into his eyes. He swallowed hard, trying not to sound choked up. “Why are you here? How are you here? Is something wrong? What can we do to he”- 

Gueira took Meis’s jawline in either hand, pulling Meis’s lips to his. He squeaked in shock, his eyes wide, but slowly melted back into the embrace, wrapping his arms around Gueira’s neck. His lips were just as hot as he thought they might be, Gueira’s warmth cascading down his body. Meis felt licks of flame at his feet as the ground underneath them combusted into blue and red fire. The cheers of Gueria’s group rang out, and Meis could feel Gueira move his arm to flick them off. The embarrassment didn’t stop him, though. 

Gueira hesitantly pulled away, Meis’s lips leaning forward before realizing the moment was over. His eyes fluttered open to see Gueira’s dumbfounded smile, one of his k-9’s sticking out over his lip. Their hands fell down their arms, fingers locking as they gave each other space. 

“Think you can make room for me and some friends?” Gueira awkwardly chuckled. 

“Only if you promise not to leave again.” Meis’s teased. 

“You won’t have to worry about that.” He winked. Meis felt his chest fill with butterflies. 

Meis let go, stepping back to project his voice. “Welcome back everyone! Follow me and Gueira to some temporary beds. We’ll make you proper homes in the morning.” The crowd all grunted in excitement, and Meis turned around to go back into the town. Gueira took ahold of his hand again. 

Meis clapped a hand on Makoto’s shoulder as they left. “Thank you so much.” 

“I do what I can.” She shrugged with a smug grin. 

Meis led the burnish into a larger area with a corner full of sleeping bags. Luckily most had brought their own. It was a tight squeeze, the area meant for small amounts of traveling burnish looking for a place to rest, but they were happy for the night nonetheless. As everyone got snug, Gueira leaned over to Meis. 

“So, think I can crash at your place?” 

“I’d be offended if you didn’t.” Meis laughed. “Go grab a bag, mine isn’t big enough for both of us.” 

Gueira nodded and quickly ducked over to the corner. Meis’s double checked to make sure everyone was okay for the night before leading Gueira back to his place. The moment they entered the room, Gueira tossed his bag down on the floor and pulled Meis close by his hips. Gueira pushed him against the wall, Meis’s hair scattering against it. He leaned in close, their noses almost touching. 

“I assume it’s okay to have some quick fun? I did just travel across the desert to confess to you.” 

Meis rolled his eyes, snaking his hands up Gueira’s shirt. “I think I could spare some time.” 

“Thank god.” Gueira leaned even closer, whispering just over his ear. “I’ve been dreamin’ ‘bout biting that pretty little tattoo on your shoulder.” He nibbled at Meis’s earlobe, sending a chill down his spine. 

“Oh? Is that all?” Meis lightly scratched at Gueira’s skin. 

“Meis, if I were to sit here and explain every dream I had about you, we’d be here awhile.” 

“Guess you could act it out for me.” Meis pressed his hips even closer to Gueira’s, his hands sliding under his back. 

Gueira’s normally silly smile turned hungry. “Gladly.” 

Their lips locked together, fire simultaneously igniting on their hands as they pulled at each other’s clothes. The only relief from curling each other’s tongues was to take off their shirts, immediately pressing their chests together. Gueira bucked his hips, trying to find any source of friction. Meis blindly pulled down at Gueira’s pants, desperately trying to paw at his ass. He spared a glance down at it, and had to pull himself away, his laughter completely breaking the moment. 

“What?” Gueira stood there, half naked and confused. 

“That’s your secret tattoo?” Meis spoke between gasps of air. 

Gueira’s face turned red. “I lost a bet, okay?” 

“You bet to have a smiley face plastered on your left ass cheek?” 

“I’m not the smartest man.” 

Meis calmed his laughter, pulling Gueira back toward him. “I’ve gathered that.” 

“Even so, at least I got one thing right.” Gueira pressed their hips back together. 

“And what’s that?” Meis ran a hand through Gueira’s hair, his fingers tangling in the red locks. 

“I came back to you.” Gueira grinned, pushing Meis’s hair behind his ear. 

The duo kissed softly, then a little harder, and quickly became hungry once more. They picked up just as they left off, Gueira picking up Meis and pushing him against the wall, Meis wrapping his legs around his waist. 

Meis silently prayed that the whole camp couldn’t hear them. 

— 

Meis groggily rolled over, opening his eyes to harsh daylight. Gueira had drool pooling down his face, snores leaving his chest. 

Last night felt unreal. His incredibly sore muscles told him it was very real, but he couldn’t believe it. Gueira was back. He felt the same way Meis had. He always had. And he fucked harder than a tiger. The last part was just a bonus, though. 

He wrapped an arm around Gueira, moving in close. Pushing himself up, he rested his chin on his shoulder. He kissed his jawline. 

“We should probably wake up.” Meis spoke, rubbing circles on Gueria’s tattoo with his thumbs. 

Gueira snorted as he woke up. He grumbled something as he turned around to face Meis. He looked him up and down. 

“Holy shit, I actually went through with it.” Gueira mumbled. “Did you like me back?” 

Meis held back his laughter. “Of course I did, you dumbass.” 

“Hell yeah.” Gueira groggily held up a fist in victory. He yawned, his whole body shaking. “Goodnight.” Gueira curled into Meis’s chest. 

“Gueira.” Meis pried him away. “We need to go get your men and tell everyone the news.” 

“Five more minutes.” 

“Come on, sleepyhead.” Meis wiggled out of his grasp. He started pulling on clothes and fixing his hair as Gueira lazily pulled himself up. Meis leaned against the wall, listing in his head everything he’d need to do today. Suddenly, as Gueira finished clothing himself, he began to chuckle at him. 

“What’s so funny?” Meis raised a brow. 

“I did a number on you.” Gueira laughed as he pointed around his shoulders and neck. 

Meis slapped his neck, face quickly turning hot. “I need your jacket.” 

“What? Why?” 

“Because I need to hide these!” 

“They’re just hickies. Did you see my chest? It’s like a minefield.” 

“I kinda have a reputation to uphold here.” 

“So wearing my jacket is less noticeable than a few bruises?” 

“A few?” 

“Okay, okay, a lot of bruises. I may have gone overboard.” Gueira scratched his neck.

“Jacket?” Meis offered a hand. He took off his jacket, tossing it to him. Meis caught it, promptly putting it on. He wasn’t expecting it to smell so much like Gueira, his stomach flipping. 

“Either way people are gonna know we had sex.” Gueira shrugged. “Don’t know what to tell ya, Chief.” 

“Every adult will know that, that’s fine. It’s the kids I don’t want to explain it to.” 

Gueira paused. “Okay, you got me. I can’t complain anyway, you look hot in that jacket.” 

“We’re always hot.” Meis snapped his fingers, a small fire lighting. 

“Oh my god shut up.” Gueira pushed his hand down, kissing him. Meis felt the smile behind it. 

Meis laughed as he stuck his hands in his pockets. “Let’s go.” 

—

The duo woke up Gueira’s group, and together they all woke up the camp, calling everyone to the bonfire. Soon, every burnish was collected there, most still groggy from waking up. It was only when they saw Gueira and their friends that it clicked, and everyone began to rejoice. There were hugs and laughter, and even a few tears. Meis held tight to Gueira’s hand, his chest full. When he looked over, Gueira just nodded. 

“Ready when you are.” He smiled. He quickly raised their held hands to lips, pecking Meis’s fingers. 

“Let’s do it.” Meis nodded, taking his hand back. He cleared his throat, preparing to yell over the crowd. “Hello everyone! Hello! Thanks for waking up so early! We have important news.” He waved his hands over his head. The crowd died down, all turning to Meis. 

“I know this is quite sudden, but Gueira and his group have come to stay with us!” Meis paused as the crowd erupted into cheers. “It’s super exciting, and we’re all so happy to have you here. If any of you could volunteer to help make homes and other accommodations for the newcomers, that would be greatly appreciated! Construction will start in a few hours.” There were more murmurs from the crowd, but Meis called back their attention. “And one more order of things! Gueira?” Meis offered the stand. 

Gueira swallowed, not expecting the attention. He rolled his shoulders, yelling a bit louder than he needed to. “For those of you who don’t know, my name’s Gueira! Meis is an amazing leader- I was only here a week and I know that! But from now on, we want to do something a little different. Meis and I will be leading this settlement together! So if you have any issues, you can meet with either of us.” 

The crowd roared, mostly from Gueira’s group. Gueira leaned close to Meis, whispering in his ear. “Is that a good reaction?” 

Meis snorted a laugh. “It’s a very good reaction. They’re excited.” 

“Okay, good.” He slumped in relief. He looked back up to Meis and smiled, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. “I’m excited too.” 

Meis held a hand over Gueira’s hips, resting his head on his shoulder. Together, they lit their fires in the fire pit, the red and blue flames mingling high into the sky. Soon, all of the burnish joined their own sparks of flame, the fire growing as large as the camp itself. Meis closed his eyes for just a moment, taking in the happiness in the air. It’d been too long since he’d felt this. 

Suddenly, a few of Gueira’s friends rushed up, clapping him on the back. “Nice you finally got the balls, boss!” 

“Yeah, we were starting to think you’d never come back!” 

“I lost money! I gave you two weeks.”

“You gave him two weeks? I gave him two days!” 

Gueira blushed red, clearly flustered. “What do y’all mean? Wait- you took bets on me?” Meis felt him squeeze the hand on his shoulder. 

“Boss, you were like a lovesick puppy.” One of them rolled their eyes. 

Another mocked his voice, “Oh, Meis would never do that. Do you think Meis is still at that camp? Meis is so cool.” 

Gueira hid his face in his hand, mumbling to Meis. “Can I kick them out? Can we do that?” 

“It’s sweet.” Meis laughed. He directed himself toward the group. “We have to get going, talk to y’all later!” 

“Aw, boo.” One stuck out their tongue playfully. 

“Understandable. We’re happy for ya boss!” 

“Yeah, congrats.” 

They all walked away back into the large crowd of burnish. Gueira groaned from embarrassment, burying himself in Meis’s hair. 

“All of my friends are dicks.” He joked. He took a deep breath, running a hand through his hair. “Mostly because they’re right.” 

“I’m glad they’re part of this family now.” Meis teased. 

“You know there’s no take backs, right? We did that whole song and dance, I’m pretty much stuck with you forever.” Gueira turned his body to Meis’s, resting his hands on Meis’s hips. 

“I’d never want to look past this moment, anyway.” Meis grinned as he wrapped his arms over Gueira’s shoulders. “Don’t you think we’ll be good co-leaders?” 

“We can burn the whole place down tryin’.” Gueira laughed. 

“At least until someone who knows what the hell they’re doing comes along.” Meis teased. 

“Until then,” Gueira rested a hand on Meis’s jaw. “Let’s lead the hell outta these burnish.” 

“Agreed.” Meis beamed. 

The duo kissed, the flames in the bonfire growing even higher. The navy blue and blood red fires won out, the entire mass writhing and glowing with their flames. In the crowd of people, no one even noticed. But Meis knew, and Gueira knew. They felt the heat over their hearts dance together, screaming out to burn together, longing to kindle even more flames together. 

As long as they stayed together, everything would be alright.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! I hope you've enjoyed it <3 
> 
> Follow me at:  
> Memes/Chill and Chat: Twitter @OrangeOwlette  
> Art: Instagram @AnAwkwardOwlArts


End file.
